Star Crossed Hearts
by FALLEN HALO
Summary: Everything can change in an instant & sometimes life & love can lead you to places you never thought you'd be. It all began when outsiders & best friends Lucas & Peyton joined the Ravens. Mainly Laley/Brathan with B/Ja, NP & other couples
1. Chapter 1

_**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ONE TREE HILL OR IT'S CHARACTERS,**_

_**HEY EVERYONE THIS IS MY VERY FIRST STORY, SO PLEASE BE KIND! REVIEWS AND SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME! THIS IS AN AU STORY, IT PRETTY MUCH EXPLAINS ITSELF, SOME OF THE RELATIONSHIPS ARE THE SAME ON THE SHOW, JUST THE CHARACTERS ARE A BIT SWITCHED AROUND. I'VE ONLY STARTED THE FIRST CHAPTER, SO BE PATIENT WITH ME, JUST SOME BACKGROUND INFO. SOME STORYLINES FROM THE SHOW WILL FIT INTO MY STORY. THIS STORY WILL START OUT BRATHAN, WITH SOME STRONG LEYTON AND BALEY FRIENDSHIP, NOT TOO SURE YET ON HOW IT WILL END, I'LL BE PLAYING WITH DIFFERENT ROMANCES FOR A WHILE TO FIGURE OUT WHICH ONES WILL BE END GAME, BUT BE PREPARED TO SEE SOME RATHAN, LALEY, NEYTON,BRUCAS AND EVEN FELIX/HALEY. THANX IN ADVANCE TO ALL WHO READS AND REVIEWS!**_

"Chug, chug, chug…." encouraged by his teammates, Nathan Scott gulped down the contents of his cup and slammed it down in triumph on the counter. He turned towards his best friend Tim Smith who gave him a high-five.

"All right! Not only can he slam dunk baskets, he can slam drunk better than all you suckas!" Tim slung an arm around Nathan. "Slam drunk? Get it?"

Nathan rolled his eyes and nodded. He shrugged him off "Tim! Just say I'm the best." He turned to the other players and smirked.

Jake Jagielski rolled his eyes "The best? Well I'm sure your little girlfriend over there agrees. " he pointed at Tim who grinned.

Nathan smirked "Yo, Jagielski my man, keep playing the way you did tonight and maybe one day _**you'll**_ have your own personal fan club."

Tim laughed and Jake shook his head, sometimes Nathan's arrogance was overwhelmingly annoying. He took his drink and walked off.

"Yo, what's his problem? His time of the month or something?"

Nathan laughed "It's probably all those diaper changes he has to make between plays. Hey maybe that's why his game sucks so much most of the time, he doesn't wipe the shit off completely." Tim cracked up and high-fived him "Nice!"

Nathan grabbed his cup and went over to the keg for a refill. Tim followed him and looked around, his gaze landing on one of the cheerleaders. "Damn, Bevin's looking fine tonight."

Nathan looked over and shrugged slyly "You should see her with her cheerleader outfit _**off.**_"

Tim's eyes widened "You hit that?"

Nathan laughed "Sorry man, a gentlemen doesn't kiss and tell."

Tim laughed "No but_** you**_ do."

Nathan laughed again, "True. Well, I'll tell you something, easy isn't always fun."

Tim's eyes lit up. "Hey that's fine with me, I don't like the chase."

Nathan snorted "That's cuz it never gets_** you**_ anywhere."

Tim gulped down his drink "It will tonight." He sing-songed. "Watch out baby, the Tim-man is coming your way, get ready for the ride of your life." He started walking towards Bevin.

"Won't be much of a ride if the car can't start!" Nathan shouted to him, Tim turned around and flipped him off.

Nathan laughed and picked up his cup, surveying the rest of the crowd. It seemed like the whole sophomore, soon to be junior class was at his parent's beach house, getting sloshed, dancing, making out, _**having fun**_. He was glad he had decided to throw the party. It was just what he needed. Come Monday, it would be back to school. Of course a new year always meant new students, he didn't mind _**that**_, as long as the girls were pretty cute, but it also meant new teachers, new season, _**hopefully**_ new basketball coach. And it also meant having to back and facing _**him**_.

"Hey gorgeous." A flirty voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned around and grinned. Rachel Gattina, one of the hottest girls in school stood before him. He looked her up and down appreciatively "Having fun Gattina?"

She tossed her auburn hair over her shoulders "Don't I always?" she leaned in close, "Although, I can always have a _**better **_time."

He smirked, "Oh yeah?" he pulled back to look at her, "Seeing as though I technically am the host, I have to make sure I keep my guests sufficiently _**entertained**_, any ideas?"

She winked up at him, "I can think of a few."

* * *

"Wassup ladies?"

Brooke Davis turned and smirked "Tim."

He grinned "The one and only Baby. You fine ladies having fun?" he came to stand in between her and Bevin, putting an arm around each of them.

Brooke grinned, "Brooke Davis_** always**_ has fun."

"That's what I hear baby girl."

Brooke pulled back from him, "Excuse me?" she laughed.

Tim shrugged, "Well my boy Nate is never short on the details, if you know what I mean."

Brooke took in a sharp breath and her grip on her drink tightened, "Well, trust me that's not the only thing he's _**short **_on, if _**you**_ know what _**I**_ mean."

Tim's mouth dropped open "Damn, did you just burn my boy?!"

"That wasn't a burn my friend, that was a roast!" Vegas , the center guard of the Ravens called out.

Tim looked at him confused "A roast? You mean like a weenie roast?"

Everyone around them cracked up and Brooke patted Tim on the arm, trying to control her laughter "Yes, Tim. A weenie roast!"

Theresa, one of Brooke's fellow cheerleaders walked over to her "Brooke Davis...slamming your boyfriend in front of all his friends? Not a good idea."

Brooke shrugged, "You heard Tim."

"Yeah, but that's what guys do, especially when they're the star basketball players. It's all about their status, y'know?"

"Well, it's not in my status to be known as easy either." Brooke snapped. She looked around and her gaze landed on Nathan and Rachel near the kitchen. Her eyes flashed as she saw Rachel lean up to Nathan seductively and whisper something to him. She smirked "That's Rachel's job." She muttered. She flipped her hair and headed towards them, a dangerous look in her eyes. Theresa looked in that direction and sighed. Well it had been two full days of peace on the squad, those two were long overdue for a showdown of some sort.

* * *

Nathan looked at Rachel a seductive smile playing across his lips, "Really? And do these ideas of yours require..." he stopped, seeing Brooke come up next to them.

"Are we having _fun?" _she glared at them.

Rachel turned around smiling sweetly at the brunette, "Oh. Hey Brooke, I was just telling Nathan that he throws _the_ most amazing parties, don't you think?"

Brooke looked around, "Oh, _yeah. _Every teenage boy's fantasy. Great music. No parental supervision. Plenty of booze." she gave her a once over, "Easy lays."

Rachel flipped her hair over her shoulder, "Oh was that a pre-requirement for entering the party?" she gave Brooke a syrupy smile, "Too bad sometimes boyfriends get in the way of whoring around right Brooke?"

Brooke gave her an equally sweet smile,"How would _you_ know? They only stick around long enough to uh get what they came for right _Rach_?"

Rachel clenched her fists in silent fury, she took a deep breath and gave her an innocent smile, "Well the right one hasn't come along just yet." she looked over at Nathan, "Or maybe he has, and he just doesn't know it yet." she turned back to Brooke and noticed the fury in the brunette's eyes. She smirked and glanced at Brooke's barely there dress, "By the way, nice dress Brooke, it's so uh easily _accesible_." she grabbed her drink and flounced away, halfway through she turned and winked at Nathan, "I'll hold you to your promise, Mr. Host."

Brooke gritted her teeth and turned angrily to her boyfriend, "What the hell is she talking about?"

Nathan shrugged, "Nothing Babe." he went to put an arm around her.

She pushed him away, "Do _not_ pull that bullshit with me Nathan. She was coming on to you like the pathetic slut she is and you tell me _nothing?"_

He chuckled and placed an arm around her waist. He pulled in her and dropped a kiss on her lips, "Have I ever told you how sexy Jealous Brooke is?" he said huskily.

She pushed him away, ignoring the way her skin always tingled when he was close, "Well trust me, pissed off Brooke is _not_ sexy, so you better fess up."

He sighed, "Brooke, it was nothing. I asked her if she was having fun and that was it."

"And why should you care if _she_ has fun? I mean it's not like we all don't know what kind of _fun_ she likes to have."

"Because it's my house Babe, I want everyone to have fun."

"Right," she scoffed, "Because that's the kind of guy you are, _sooo_ _considerate_."

"Okay, fine whatever. Who cares? Look, I won't even _look_ at her okay, let's just drop this and...."he pulled her in close again and nuzzled her neck, "Talk about us...I missed you.." he whispered against her skin.

She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his lips on her skin for just a second. She forced herself to push him away, "Look I mean it Scott, I'm done with your games. Stop flirting with Rachel or..."she pulled him in by the collar of his shirt and planted a small kiss near his mouth, "We're done." she breathed.

He pulled back to look at her, he shrugged. "Empty threats." he grinned, "Look babe, Rachel was flirting with _me_, so maybe you should have this heart to heart with her."

Brooke glared at him, "Yeah well Rachel's a slut." she snapped, "That girl flirts with anything with a dick."

Nathan laughed, "Davis...is that any way to talk about your fellow cheerleaders?" he teased.

"Nathan I mean it. I will _not _have my boyfriend flirting with that cheer slut or anyone else for that matter. You want some, you know where you can get the best." she pulled him in by the collar, "I'm Brooke Davis damn it, do _not_ make me look like a fool."

Nathan grinned down at her, "Damn, so demanding, _sooo_ hot. And you wonder if I want to be with someone else _why?" _he kissed her and she allowed him to deepen it for just a second before pulling away.

She grinned, "Just making sure baby. You know the rules Scott, do not screw that up."

He rolled his eyes, "Well just remember those _rules, _next time _you're_ flirting with _my_ teammates."

She leaned in close, "Hmmm...so jealous, _sooo_ hot." she teased repeating his words from earlier. She gave him a quick kiss and grabbed her drink. He stood there for a second, admiring the way her dress clung to her body.

She winked at him, "Be good Superstar, and you just might get lucky tonight."

He groaned and picked up his drink. He threw his head back and gulped down what was left. It was going to be a _long_ night.

* * *

Haley James rolled her eyes as she watched Bevin Prince take a body shot off Tim.

The pretty blonde stood up and clapped her hands "Oh my gosh that was _**sooo **_much fun! Who wants to go next?" she looked around and her face lit up in a smile as her gaze landed on Haley.

Haley shook her head "No. _**No. **_Bevin, don't even think about it."

Bevin grinned as she pulled Haley towards her despite her protests.

"Oh c'mon Haley Boo, it's the last rager before the start of junior year, loosen up just a bit."

Rachel strolled up to them taking a sip of her drink. "Loose is always fun."

"Yeah you would know." Haley muttered.

Rachel raised an eyebrow "You make that sound like such a horrible thing. Don't you _**ever**_ have any fun?"

"Not _**your**_ kind of fun." She retorted.

Rachel rolled her eyes and grabbed the tequila from Bevin's hand and took a long swig. She licked her lips and handed it to Haley with a smirk.

Haley sighed as she stared down at the bottle. She didn't know why she even bothered to come to Nathan's parties sometimes. She always felt out of place and never really had any fun watching everyone else get wasted. She would very much rather be at home reading a good book or writing and listening to music. But yet, every time she always ended up there. It was her social duty as a cheerleader after all. She looked over at Rachel's smug grin, it was as if the redhead knew what she was thinking. _**She thinks I won't do it**_, Haley thought. _**What the hell**_. She threw her head back and allowed the searing mixture to burn itself down her throat, as everyone else cheered around her. She wiped her hand across her mouth and slammed the bottle down on the table. She gave a slighty shocked Rachel a smirk of her own.

"Tutor Girl! Did I have too much to drink or did I really just see you chug that thing? Oh my god have we finally willed you over to the dark side?" a teasing voice called over to her. Haley turned and grinned at her best friend. Brooke was walking towards her one hand tucked securely in her handsome boyfriend's and the other holding up her own cup.

She giggled "Dark side? Tigger you make it sound like some sort of cult or something."

Brooke walked over to her and slung an arm around her shoulder and gave her a wink "Tutor Girl we are so getting you drunk." She looked around the small crowd that had formed around them. Her gaze landed on Felix Tagaro, the tall and _**very**_ handsome all-around player. She gave him her famous grin "Felix, take off your shirt." She demanded.

He grinned at her "Damn Davis, I always knew you wanted me but try to restrain yourself around Mr. All-American over here. " he threw a smirk at Nathan, laughing to himself as he noticed the angry glint in the basketball player's blue eyes.

Brooke bit back a smile as she looked over at her annoyed boyfriend. _**If he only knew…**_ she turned back to Felix and gave him a wink "Play nice Tagaro, or you miss out on the chance of being Haley's very first."

Haley looked over at her horrified "Brooke!"

Brooke laughed "Body shot Haley. First body shot." She shook her head, she loved her best friend to death, but honestly the girl needed to loosen up. She gave her a slight push towards Felix "Haley sweetie, it's going to be okay I promise. I'll even hold your hand and walk you through it." she teased.

Haley rolled her eyes as she looked over at Felix, who took off his shirt and winked at her. She glared at him, unhappy with the turn of events. He laughed and proceeded to lay down on the table. Brooke handed Felix a lemon and filled the shot glass with tequila. She pretended to decide on where to place it and stopped right above the zipper of his pants and looked up laughing at Haley who shot her a death glare.

"Brooke!" she sighed desesperated "Just stop ok? Let's just get it over with."

Felix sat up slightly and grinned utterly full of himself. He reached out and pulled in Haley until she was almost laying on top of him. "Oh, baby once I start you you'll be begging me _**not**_ to stop." He whispered in her ear.

She shivered slightly and roughly pulled back, hating herself for letting the blush reach her cheeks. Brooke laughed, having heard his comment. "Please Tagaro, don't make any promises you know you can't keep."

He looked her up and down and licked his lips "Play nice _mami _and maybe I'll let_** you**_ in on the magic,"

"Stop flirting with my girl Tagaro and maybe _**I**_ won't kick your ass." Nathan threatened. Felix laughed and motioned towards Haley "C'mon Baby girl, " he gave her a heart-stopping grin and lay back down.

Haley looked over at him and tried to ignore the way he looked laying there shirtless grinning up at her. Okay, so the guy was hot, even _**she**_ could acknowledge that. But he was still a brainless jerk.

She shook her head, "This is stupid." she muttered, she turned to walk away, but Brooke ran up to intercept her.

"Haley...C'mon it's the last party of the summer, have fun just this once please?"

Haley sighed, "Brooke.....having fun does not have to equal getting wasted."

Brooke sighed, she'd heard this speech from Haley so many times, "I know okay? But it's fun, really. Look, come Monday, you can go back to being Tutor-girl, clean and sober, queen of the nerds okay?"

"I am _not_ queen of the nerds!" she protested, trying to hide a smile.

Brooke grinned, she could see Haley was already giving in, "Okay, princess,whatever.."she teased.

Haley shook her head and took a deep breath. She walked back over to Felix, she might as well get it over with. She leaned down and took the lemon from his mouth and stared at the taut muscles in his chest before leaning down and taking the glass in between her teeth and gulping it down like she'd seen the other cheerleaders do, too many times if you asked her. Everyone cheered around her and Felix sat up. He was looking at her and nodding appreciatively "Damn, James I always knew you had it in you." He reached for his shirt and pulled her in close again. "Glad to be off service." He whispered huskily in her ear. He pulled his shirt over his head and walked off but not before turning and sending another wink her way.

"Oh my gosh! Did you see that? He totally wants you!" Bevin squealed and rushed over to Haley.

Haley rolled her eyes "_**Please**_, Felix is such a dog, he flirts with anything in a skirt."

Bevin looked at her confused "But…you're not wearing a skirt today Haley,"

Haley bit her lip, trying her hardest not to laugh. Bevin was such a sweetheart but _honestly_ she could be very daft sometimes. "It's just a saying Bevin, it doesn't actually…" she shook her head "Forget it."

"Okay!" she beamed and picked up the tequila "Who wants to go next?!"

* * *

"You've been pretty quiet tonight." Peyton Sawyer turned from her position on the bed and faced her best friend Lucas Scott. "What's up?"

He turned and smiled at her. He shrugged "I don't know, just thinking I guess."

"Uh-Oh" she teased. He threw her a look and she laughed. She scooted in closer to him. "You okay?" she asked seriously.

He smiled at her again "Yeah… I was just thinking. About Dan." He admitted.

Peyton sighed "Well that jerk never gives a thought to _**you**_." She remarked. Lucas turned away from her visibly flinching at her words.

Peyton put a hand to her mouth "Oh god. Luke…I'm sorry. I'm such a bitch sometimes."

"It's okay, I'm used to it." He teased. She jabbed him in the ribs "Watch it jerk!" she cried playfully.

He laughed and placed an arm around her shoulder bringing her in closer to him. They were quiet for several moments before Peyton spoke up.

"So…you want to tell me why you were thinking of your sorry excuse of a father?"

He smiled over at her and stared up at the ceiling "It's not exactly Dan. It's more like…well you know how I always help out Keith on the weekends at the shop?"

She nodded a little confused as to where he was going with this.

He sighed "Well, we were talking about basketball..."

"Gee, why doesn't _that _surprise me?" she teased.

He laughed, "Well anyway, he was telling me that he was talking to Whitey and he told him that Jacob West won't be back this year."

Peyton gave him a confused look, "Yeah? So?"

Lucas sighed, "Jacob West was their star Point Guard last year."

Peyton's eyes widened in realization, "So does that mean?..."

"I don't know, Keith's telling me I should do it...but..."

"But?"

Lucas looked over at her, "Nathan's on the team. And if I was to make the team, not only does that equal having to face Nathan, but.."

"Dan as well." Peyton finished for him.

Lucas nodded, "Yeah, I don't know if I can do that."

Peyton looked at him, "Luke...look if you're thinking about doing this, do it for you, okay? I know how much you love the game, and yes you play on the Rivercourt with the guys all the time. But I understand why you would want to do this. You want to prove that you've got talent. Just don't do it to prove it to _them_ okay? Screw Dan and Nathan Scott and what they think. You've made it just fine without them all these years, you don't need them now."

He smiled over her. Leave it to Peyton to always know what he was thinking. "Thank you." he pulled her in and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "But you know, Nathan's not going to like this at all."

Peyton rolled her eyes as she thought of his half-brother. Nathan Scott. Mr. Popularity hot-shot himself. Yeah the guy was cute, okay he was more than cute, he was hot. But he was so full of himself it made her want to throw up sometimes and the way he treated Lucas …honestly it made her want to throw him in front of a bus. Well that was a little extreme, and she wasn't normally a violent person, but that's the kind of emotions that jerk evoked in her. She was very protective of her best friend. He meant the world to her and she couldn't stand to see him hurt. Despite all his claims that his brother's indifference towards him didn't affect him in the least she knew better. She knew that if Lucas were to make the team, Nathan Scott would make it a living hell for him.

She turned back to him, "Yeah, he won't...and I can't stand the thought of him....making this hard on you.."she stayed quiet for a second, "You know I've got your back right Lucas? Always?"

He chuckled, "Yeah, sure. I mean I have nothing to worry about with you on my side. You'll protect me from the big bad guys." he teased.

"Shut up!" she laughed, "I can _sooo_ take on Nathan Scott and you know it."

"Yeah, you're right. You _are_ pretty scary Sawyer."

She raised an eyebrow, "Do I have to remind you of the time back in fourth grade when Jim Roberts stole the baskteball you received from Keith on your birthday? How you cried and cried?....And who got your ball back from the big mean bully? Huh?"

Lucas laughed, "Yeah, Okay, after you gave him a black eye and threatened him that if he so much as _looked_ at my ball again, you would pummel him." he shook his head wistfully, "Little Peyton Sawyer, making little boys cry."

She nodded, "Don't ever doubt me Lucas Scott. I am one tough bitch, thank you very much."

"Y'know that came in handy, having you as my bodyguard when we were younger. But if you ever repeat that story to anyone, I will never talk to you again Sawyer, that could damage my reputation, especially when I become _the _hottest baskteball player the Ravens have ever seen!."

She laughed, "_The_ hottest huh? So does this actually mean you're going to do it?"

"Yeah, I think I will."

"What made you decide?"

He smiled over at her, "You did."

"Oh. Damn, does this mean everytime I want you to do something, all I have to do is bring up the Jim Roberts story?" she teased.

He pointed a finger at her, "No. You never bring that up. _Ever. _Especially if I make the team."

"Oh, sorry Mr. Hot-shot basketball player, only not. Can't have you looking like the weak mush you are infront of the popular cheerleaders. Especially _Haley James." _she teased.

Lucas blushed, "Shut up! That's not...I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh sure...you don't know what I'm talking about. _Please_, I've caught you staring. Before School, during homeroom, during lunch, during Chemistry, after school...not to mention that you mumble in your sleep!." she burst out laughing as Lucas looked over at her horrified. "Lucas you little perv! How long have you had the hots for little ?"

Lucas grabbed the pillow and hit her with it, "I am so not talking to you." he mumbled.

She poked him in the side, "It's okay, your secret's safe with me."

He glared at her, "I am _sooo_ not liking you right now."

She laughed, "Not even if I told you that I was thinking of trying out for the cheer squad?"

His mouth dropped open, "Cheerleading? _You?!"_

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I mean don't act so schocked or anything." she said sarcastically.

"Sorry, it's just you? Little angsty, jaded Peyton Sawyer? Cheerleading?"

She laughed, "Ok! Ok! I get it, but look if I was to do it, i'd be doing it for you."

He grinned, "Me? Sure, you in a short cheerleading skirt, jumping up and down waving pom-poms just for me? I'm all for that, y'know what that would do for my rep? To have my own personal cheerleader?" he nodded, "Damn. I'd be _the_ man on campus."

"You're not even on the team yet, and already your Scott genes are shining through." she scoffed.

He gave her a look and she giggled, "Sorry. But get your head outta your ass perv! I'm doing it for you, total moral support. You'll need someone by your side, at all those away games and stuff."

He grinned, "And how do you know I need _you_ for that? Once Haley James sees my killer jump shot...."

Peyton stood up laughing,"I_ knew_ it!" she cried.

He could only laugh with. He shook his head, this was so crazy, _Him_ on the basketball team? The same team as his much-hated half-brother? And _Peyton_? On the cheerleading squad?

Yeah. It was definitely going to be one hell of a year.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I didn't update sooner. Thanx so much for the reviews, I really appreciate it! Anyways I just wanted to clear a few things up, this story might be a little confusing with the characters switched around. Peyton & Lucas grew up as best friends. Peyton's story is the same, her mom passed away when she was younger and her dad is always gone, so she spends most of her time at Luca's house. It's her second home. Brooke is Nathan's girlfriend and her story is the same, the only difference is Brooke's and Nathan's relationship will be a little more deep and meaningful than what the writers on the show portrayed for N/P. Haley and Brooke are best friends and she, Nathan, Brooke and Jake have known each other since forever. Haley's character is still the same, but her ****home life might be a little more complex from the show, but all that will be revealed in time. I know Felix and Rachel at the same time is a little off but I always thought it would be fun to have these two at the same time and Anna won't be in this story but you'll find out what happened to her. Like I said I'll be using some of the original storylines from the show in my story eventually. One more thing this will not be a Naley/Leyton fic. At least not in the romantic sense.**

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Haley slammed the bathroom door and leaned against it, laughing. She headed downstairs, shaking her head, trying to get rid of the images of Tim pinning Bevin up against the wall. Reaching the leaving room, she looked around for her best friend, dying to tell her this new piece of news. Normally she wasn't one to gossip. In fact, she tended to stay away from all the drama, but this was just too funny to _not_ gossip about.

Having not spotted the pretty brunette and with nothing else to do, she headed into the kitchen. She looked around the empty kitchen and hesitated for a second before heading towards the keg in the middle of the room. She reached for a cup and fumbled with it, unsure of how to get the beer flowing.

"Need help with that?" a voice laughed behind her. She turned around and smiled sheepishly at Nathan. He took the cup from her and easily filled two cups and handed one back to her.

She smiled, "Thanks." She looked around, "So where's your better half?" she teased.

Nathan grinned and took a sip of his drink, he held up the cup, "It never leaves my side." He joked. She rolled her eyes at him playfully and he shrugged, "She's out by the water with Theresa." He took another drink and saw her do the same.

"So..not that I'm complaining or anything…but what's got you joining the rest of us in what Brooke refers to as the 'the dark side'?"

"I don't know." She admitted. She shrugged, "Maybe I'm just tired of being good ol' boring Haley."

Nathan bumped her with his shoulder, "You're anything but boring Haley." He smiled and looked at her carefully, "But seriously, you okay?"

"Yeah I'm okay. Okay being a relative term, considering that a third of the world is starving." She said dryly.

Nathan let out a laugh and she looked over at him quickly, "Am I really that bad? I mean it's just a couple of drinks…"

He shrugged, "It's not really you I guess, you tend to stay away from all that…But hey... I certainly understand wanting to let go sometimes."

Haley fidgeted with her cup and bit her lip, she looked back at him, "I've…maybe there's some stuff going on at home…"she admitted.

"Oh." He furrowed his brow, "Anything I can help you with?"

She took a deep breath, "No…it's okay. It's nothing really. I mean nothing I can't handle anyway."

"Well…hey…I got your back all right? If you ever want to talk…or anything…"

She smiled and gave him a quick hug. She knew Nathan came off as a jerk most of the time because well…he _was_ a jerk most of the time. But deep down he was a good guy and once he let his guard down, he could be a good friend.

She pulled back, "I know Nathan. And thanks, now what do you say we go and look for that gorgeous girlfriend of yours?"

Nathan grinned and gave her arm a squeeze, glad her mood had lightened just a bit. She wasn't just his girlfriend's best friend, she was_ his_ friend as well and they'd grown up together, so of course he cared about her. He followed her out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"Listen…you will not believe who I found in the bathroom together." He looked over at her and she laughed, "Tim and Bevin."

He let out a laugh, "Seriously? Damn.…my parties never fail to surprise even me. You never know who's going to hook up." he spotted Felix across the room, watching them, or rather Haley intently.  
"Speaking of which…"he pointed to Felix, "What's up with him?"

Haley looked in the direction in which he was pointing and groaned, "Oh god…I swear…all I did was take one body shot with him. One! And now…"

"He can't take his eyes off of you?" he offered.

Haley sighed and shook her head, "If that's all it takes…" she smiled, "Guys are so easy."

Nathan laughed, "I think it's more than that. Any guy loves a good challenge."

She looked at him puzzled, "You're like the ultimate conquest." He explained.

She scoffed and he laughed, "No seriously. You're pretty and popular and you're on the cheerleading squad, and you're smart." He shrugged, "Smart enough to be intimidating and smart enough to not fall for the type of bull that guys like Felix give. And he knows that. He knows that girls like you don't go for guys like him."

Haley looked back at Felix, he flashed her a grin and she turned away, "So then, why put yourself through the embarrassment of being rejected?"

"Didn't you hear me? Any guy loves a good challenge."

"Well…challenge or not…I just wish he'd _stop_."

Nathan grinned mischievously, "You want me to make him stop?"

Haley laughed, "Sure…y'know you're just looking for any excuse to take a shot at him." she said knowingly.

"He's always hitting on Brooke." He admitted.

"Well it doesn't matter. She's with _you_. She loves _you_."

"I know…it's just…"

"Hard knowing there are other guys that want to be with her?" She nodded, "Y'know it goes both ways." She pointed out, "But it comes with the whole being the "Golden Couple" thing."

"Yeah.." he looked over at her and grinned, "Besides Felix's got nothing on me."

Haley laughed and nudged him, "And there's the Nathan Scott we all know and love." She teased.

He laughed with her and raised his cup to his mouth taking a big gulp. He spotted Tim making his way down the stairs and grinned.

"Look who it is. Yo Tim! My man!." Nathan shouted, making his way towards his friend.

Haley shook her head as she saw the two basketball players high-five."At least one thing will never change. Boys will always be boys." She muttered to herself smiling.

* * *

"_What_ is she wearing? Doesn't she know that skirt is sooo last season?" Brooke looked across the beach at Rachel in disgust.

Theresa laughed, "Didn't you have that skirt?"

Brooke looked at her, "_Please._ Like I would own something that tacky." She took a sip of her drink and rolled her eyes as she saw Rachel flirting with Vegas. "Doesn't that girl have any class? I mean the whole night she's been throwing herself at all the basketball players. She's so pathetic."

Theresa rolled her eyes, "Are you still jealous that she was hitting on a certain basketball player?"

Brooke glared at her, "I was never jealous. I mean really what's there to be jealous of?" She shrugged to brush it off. She refused to admit just how much it affected her every time she saw the redhead near the handsome basketball player. "It's amusing actually to watch her pathetic attempts to flirt with my boyfriend."

"Well as amusing as it might be to you, this little war with you and Rachel is not amusing for the rest of us." Theresa sighed, "It's getting a little old Brooke. It's a new year, why not reach a truce?"

"A truce? With her?" she laughed, "What are you going to suggest next? That I make her co-captain?"

Theresa paused, and looked away, "That's…that's actually not a bad idea."

Brooke looked at her in disbelief, "You better have had too much to drink Theresa, because I _know_ you didn't just say it would be a good idea to make that slut my co-captain."

Theresa sighed, "No listen. She's a good cheerleader. One of the best we've got. And she's helped us out in binds. You've got to admit, some of the cheers she's come up with are pretty good. I'm just saying, this year is going to be pretty tough for us. We've got the State Competition coming up and…it might be a lot less stressful for you if you had someone help you with the cheers."

Brooke threw her hair over her shoulder haughtily, "She may be a good cheerleader, but I'm the best the squad's got. And that is why I'm the captain. The sole captain. I do _not_ need anyone's help, let alone hers. And why are you even doubting me? I've gotten us to Nationals before. Besides, none of you guys have ever complained before, or even brought it up." She paused and looked at her suspiciously, "Wait. Did _she_ put you up to this?"

Theresa bit her lip, "Look forget I even said anything okay?"

"She did didn't she?!" she shook her head furiously, "Unbelievable. It's not enough that she flirts with my boyfriend but now she wants to take my spot as captain? What is she going to do next? Run for student class president?"

"Brooke…."Theresa started. "It's not like that and you know it. She just wants to help."

Brooke laughed, "Help? Right." She downed the rest of her drink and threw the cup at the ground angrily and took off towards the water.

"Brooke!…where are you going?"

Brooke turned to look at her and smiled, "I'm going to go tell that bitch where she can take all her _help." _

Theresa sighed, she should have never said anything. This was going to end in a disaster she just knew it. She followed Brooke, "Might as well enjoy the fireworks." She muttered.

* * *

"Hey stranger. I was wondering why I haven't seen you the whole night." Jake Jagielski looked up from his spot on the couch to see Haley smiling down at him.

He grinned, "Hey yourself." He patted the spot next to him and she sat down. She looked around them at all their classmates. She smiled at him, "Great party huh?"

"Oh yeah the best." He said dryly.

She giggled, "So then why aren't you out there having fun?"

He looked over at her and smiled. Her long honey blonde hair was a little mussed and her eyes looked brighter than usual, "You mean like you?" he joked.

She shook her head and took another sip from her drink. "Brooke would be so proud." She joked back.

Jake laughed, "Is this the same Haley James who always refuses to even be _near_ the keg?"

She looked over at him, "There's nothing wrong with a few drinks right?" she asked him worriedly. She leaned her head back against the couch, "God I feel like such a hypocrite. I mean I swore this would never me."

He smiled at her, "You're allowed to change your own rules once in a while." He raised his cup and took a drink, "Besides it's nice to just forget about real life sometimes, y'know? And what better way than in typical teenage form?"

Haley's eyes clouded over slightly. She took a deep breath and looked at him, "So, what's going on with you? I feel like I haven't really seen you around since school let out."

"Probably because you haven't." He shrugged, "Having a baby to take care of, sometimes gets in the way of having fun."

"How's Jenny by the way?"

Jake's face lit up like it always did when he talked about his six-month old, "Getting bigger every day." He said wistfully, "She just started crawling." He said proudly.

She smiled, "I'd love to come over and see her sometime."

"Sure, anytime." He replied easily, taking another sip from his drink as they fell into a comfortable silence for a couple of minutes.

"You ever feel out of place?"

Jake looked over at her, "You mean with the whole high school scene?" she nodded and he shrugged, "Sure… I mean sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I love basketball…but it's not something that I see myself doing past high school."

"So what do you see yourself doing?"

"Music." He admitted, "Writing, playing, singing." He shrugged, "Maybe teaching. I don't know, I haven't thought that much into it. It's just something I really enjoy."

Haley looked over at him in surprise, "Really?"

He smiled, "Shocking coming from a basketball jock huh?"

She shook her head, "No…it's just.." she let out a laugh, "Well, we grew up together and I never knew that about you. That and well, I know exactly how you feel."

It was his turn to be surprised, "Really? You mean…"

She nodded, "I sing. Or at least I want to. Someday. Music….music is like my haven y'know? When everything gets to be too much or I just want to escape the world…I write…and… " she shrugged, "I've never told anyone. Not even Brooke." She admitted.

He smiled, "I'd love to hear you sometime Haley."

She exhaled, "I don't know if I'm ready for that yet. Exposing myself like that to…well anyone..no offense."

He shook his head, "No I understand perfectly. It's rough.…putting yourself out there like that. Especially when it's something that's so important to you. I guess in a way it'd be like exposing your soul. And _that's_ scary."

She smiled, glad he understood exactly where she was coming from, "It's funny…me and you…I mean you're a basketball player and I'm a cheerleader and we basically run in the same circle…but then it's like…"

"We don't exactly fit into the mold?" he offered.

"Yeah," she sighed, "We're not the typical jock and cheerleader huh?"

He shrugged, "Maybe not." he laughed, "Only the two of us would be at a raging party at Nathan's, talking about music and complaining about the thrones of popularity."

"Well like you said, we don't exactly fit the mold." She took a sip of her drink and smiled at him, "I'm glad you came Jake. It feels nice to catch up with an old friend."

He smiled back at her, "Yeah me too." He finished his drink and got up, "Now what do you say we go join the rest of our friends in being the typical jock and cheerleader for just one night?"

She accepted his hand and he helped her up, "Sure. But if I wake up the next morning completely wasted next to you in one of the upstairs rooms…"she warned playfully.

"Only if you insist." He teased.

She pushed him playfully, "Shut up! Like you would even dare!" he laughed and put an arm around her as they made their way towards the dance floor.

* * *

Brooke stalked off towards the edge of the water and purposely stepped in front of Vegas, turning to Rachel with an angry glint in her eyes, "Okay seriously? Is your life that pathetic you want to take out a permanent lease on mine?"

Rachel smirked, "Okay, what is your problem now? Did you forget to take your Prozac this morning? I mean seriously what is it with the bitchy mood swings?"

"Don't stand here and pretend you don't know what the hell it is that I'm talking about." She fumed, "Trying to weasel your way into being co-captain of _my_ squad? You can talk to the rest of the girls behind my back all you want but you've got another thing coming if you think you've got any chance in hell."

Rachel glanced at Theresa who sent her an apologetic smile. She turned back to Brooke and smiled sweetly, "Brookie…You seem so…frustrated…you're obviously in way over your head…I mean even the great ones like you need help sometimes." She shrugged innocently, "I just want to help you."

"I know what kind of _help_ you offer. To guys in particular." She looked at Vegas who had moved from behind her to stand next to Theresa, "I mean, half the basketball team knows how _helpful_ you can be." She turned to look back at her and noticed the self-amused grin on Rachel's face, "But you can whore around with the basketball team all you want, but guess what?_ I_ don't need your help. And you will never be co-captain as long as I'm on the squad." She turned on her heel and headed towards the house.

"Why don't you just admit you're jealous of me?" Rachel called out to her.

Brooke swiveled around, "Excuse me?"

Rachel shrugged, "I mean you're obviously jealous. Why else would you pick all these silly catfights with me constantly?"

Brooke stalked back to her and faced her head on, "Jealous? Of you?!" she repeated incredulously. "_I'm _not the one who's trying to take someone else's spot on the cheer squad. _I'm_ not the one who flirts with someone's else's boyfriend…I'm-"

Rachel cut her off and crossed her arms in front of her, "So that's what this is about, are you really that threatened that I might make a play for your boyfriend?"

"Threatened?" she laughed, "Please, Nathan will never go for someone as trashy as you. Unlike the rest of the basketball team, he has his standards."

"His standards must be really screwed up then if he settled for someone like you."

Brooke's eyes flashed in anger and she took a menacing step towards her, making the redhead take a step back, "Listen, whore. I'd back off if I were you." she hissed.

Rachel looked around at the crowd who was eyeing them curiously. She ran her hand through her hair and smirked, "Brooke….clearly you're a little upset...look…why don't you sleep on it tonight? You don't have to decide till Monday."

"There's nothing to decide!" she snapped. She took another step towards her and smiled as she saw Rachel take another step back. She noticed she was dangerously close to the water's edge, "And clearly you're a bit delusional if you even_ think_ there's something to think about here." She took another step towards her and in one swift motion Rachel went flying backwards into the water.

Rachel shrieked and Brooke smirked, "Thought I'd help you cool off. Why don't _you _sleep on it tonight slut?"

Rachel looked up fuming as Brooke took off with Theresa. Her eyes burned as she heard everyone laughing around her. She looked over at Vegas, "Help me up you idiot!" she snapped.

* * *

Nathan laughed as he saw Tim and Tyler trying to 'Walk It Out.' "Yo! You're doing it backwards!" he called out. Tim looked up laughing and shrugged. Nathan shook his head, clearly they'd had way too much to drink. He looked around the room and spotted Haley and Jake in the middle of the room laughing and drinking. _Huh_, he thought to himself, _Now there's an interesting match._ He'd have to make a note and ask Brooke about it later.

Brooke. He looked down at his watch and realized he hadn't seen her in about an hour. Not that he was worried about her or even checking up on her. But she was usually in the middle of things at parties and he realized she'd been missing in action ever since she stepped out with Theresa. He knew from experience that an absent Brooke usually meant trouble.

He picked up his drink and decided to go look for her. He opened the front door and stepped out and slammed right into someone.

He looked down at Rachel curiously, "Whoa, what happened to you?" he asked noticing her soaked clothes and furious expression.

She looked up at him, noticing he was alone. But she was so angry she couldn't even bring herself to smile at him, "You're jealous psycho girlfriend happened!" She snapped.

Nathan's eyes widened and a smile tugged at his lips. Rachel noticed and it only helped to infuriate her more, "Look, you think I can borrow one of your shirts or something?"

He scanned the beach for the brunette, barely registering what the redhead was saying to him. Rachel sighed exasperated, "Nathan! Can you-"

"Sure. Clothes." He cut her off. He placed an arm on her shoulder, "There's probably some dry towels in the upstairs bathroom. Help yourself." He took off down the steps and Rachel watched him go, obviously looking for his girlfriend. She let out an angry soundand slumped down in the steps. She was absolutely livid.

_Brooke Davis, I'll get you back even if it's the last thing I do. And trust me when I'm done with you, you're going to wish you'd never even met me._

* * *

Brooke walked back into the house with Theresa on her heel.

"Brooke! That was so…that wasn't right." Theresa shook her head trying not to laugh.

"Please. That bitch had it coming. Besides did you see the _look _on her face? Totally worth it."

Theresa laughed, "Remind me to never cross you."

"Oh yeah. That's one more for Team Brooke!" she laughed, "I'm going to the bathroom. I'll catch up with you later." She ran up the stairs and right before she reached the bathroom, someone grabbed her hand and pulled her into a dark bedroom.

Nathan's lips were on hers before she had a chance to react. "Hmm." He murmured against her lips, "I told you before. Jealous Brooke is _soo_ sexy." He pressed her back against the door and placed kisses down her jaw.

She grinned and leaned into him, "Your girl can do some serious damage." She whispered.

He nibbled on her neck, "Babe, you damage _me_." he whispered against her skin. "Do you know what it does to me every time you get all feisty and jealous?"

She pulled him in for a searing kiss and tugged at his shirt. He broke the contact as he pulled it off and she trailed her hand down his chest. She looked up at him coyly. "Why don't you show me baby?" she breathed.

That was all the encouragement he needed. He let out a low growl and picked her up. He walked them backwards to the bed. She let out a giggle as he lay her down and settled himself on top of her. He looked down at her and pushed a strand of hair away from her face. "I love you." He whispered.

Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes locked with his, "Nathan…You've..you've never said that to me before." She whispered.

"I must be an idiot then." He murmured. She smiled at him and pulled him in for a kiss. He groaned against her mouth and his hand traveled down her thigh. She broke away from the kiss, "Wait." She looked at him, "Baby, everyone's downstairs."

He nibbled on her ear, "So?" he said huskily.

She shivered, "So? It's your party baby, it's _your_ house."

He pushed the strap off her shoulder and kissed the soft skin, "They can wait. Or they can leave. Who cares?"

Whatever she was about to say was cut off as he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her languidly. Within seconds she too forgot about everyone downstairs. Because for now, it was just them two. Nathan and Brooke. Everyone else could wait.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Hey guys, thanks for all the reviews! I love reading your thoughts on the story. Anyways I know a lot of you guys are wanting to see Peyton and Lucas shake things up when they join the cheer squad and b-ball team and I promise you it's coming! Please bare with me, I'm working slowly on developing where I want to take this story and the couples. I hope you guys keep reading, I really look forward to the reviews.**

Nathan groaned and shifted on his bed, "Brooke?" he mumbled. Receiving no response, he opened his eyes and looked to his side. He sighed, realizing he was alone. He reached over to the nightstand, almost on instinct, and his fingers came in contact with the piece of paper, he knew would be there. He squinted his eyes at the pretty handwriting, _**Good morning boyfriend! Left shopping with Tutor girl for last minute school stuff. I'll call you later…..XOXOXOXO Brooke.**_

He crumpled up the piece of paper and tossed it towards the waste basket near the bathroom door. He smiled slightly as it made it in. He closed his eyes against the glaring sunlight pouring into his room and thought about his girlfriend. He couldn't say he was surprised to not find her next to him. It was their almost 'ritual', as screwed up as that sounded. She would sleep over at his house after a party and he always woke up to find her gone. Of course, it worked both ways, the rare times he stayed over at _her_ house, he always left before she woke up. It was just the way their relationship worked. Neither one of them had ever been good at dealing with 'the morning after'. Granted, most of the time they were too hung over to really care.

He thought back to last night's party. The last thing he remembered, was him and Brooke stumbling into his room.

He sat up quickly as he heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. He reached for his shirt and pulled it on just as his dad swung the door open and stared at him angrily.

Nathan turned to look at him and slightly winced at the look on his face, "Dad…Hey..what's going on?"

His dad let out a humorless laugh and stepped into the room. He threw a garbage bag at him, "You're mom's gone for a week and already you think you can do whatever you please?"

"Dad…it was just a…small get together. Nothing big." He shrugged.

Dan looked at him and said nothing. He glanced around the room and his gaze landed on the nightstand. He went over to it and picked up a tube of lip gloss. He smirked and tossed it at his son, "Where's the lovely Ms. Davis?"

Nathan let out a breath, "She left earlier."

Dan chuckled, "Can't even keep them till the morning huh son?"

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Whatever." He lay back on the bed and pulled the covers over his head.

Dan went over and yanked them back down, "No way in hell. You are getting up right this second and you are helping me clean up that mess downstairs."

Nathan groaned, "Later okay?"

"No. You are helping me clean up downstairs, but first you are going to take a shower because you reek of alcohol, and then we are going for a run."

"Are you kidding me?"

Dan shook his head determinedly, "Tomorrow it's back to school, and you have to be on top of your game son."

"Dad chill out okay? I'm the best the Ravens have."

"Right. And we-you have to make sure it stays that way. We've come so far, Nathan and I am not letting you screw that up. Now get up and take a shower. I'll be waiting downstairs."

Nathan sighed and stared up at the ceiling after his dad left. _Right, don't want to mess up your dreams dad._ He thought bitterly. This was sooo not the way he wanted to spend the last day of the summer.

"Nathan!" his dad bellowed from downstairs.

Nathan groaned and kicked thecovers off. He reluctantly got up and headed for the shower.

* * *

"Oh my god, this is sooo cute, we are definitely getting this for you Tutor girl!." Brooke fingered the silky red material and held it up for Haley to see.

"Brooke." She sighed, "When I called you this morning to help me pick up school supplies. This is not exactly what I had in mind."

Brooke grinned, "And who says we're not shopping for school supplies?"

"How exactly is Victoria Secret relevant to education?" Brooke grinned and Haley rolled her eyes, "_Academic_ education Brooke."

Brooke laughed and Haley trailed behind her as the brunette continued to browse through the racks.

"So…" Haley began, "What happened between you and Rachel yesterday?"

"What do you mean?" she asked innocently, heading towards the cash register.

"Well…I ran into Rachel last night and she was soaking wet and muttering obscenities and _you_ were completely MIA. Knowing the track record between the two of you…I put two and two together. So what happened?"

Brooke's eyes lit up and brushed off her question as she digged in her purse for her charge car. "Talking about putting two and two together…. what's up with you and a certain handsome reserved basketball player?" she smiled at the girl at the counter as she handed over her card.

Haley raised an eyebrow, "Who? Jake?" she shook her head and smiled as they walked out of the store. "We're friends Brooke."

"Yeah from what I hear, you two certainly looked friendly last night." She teased.

"Jake's a nice guy. And he's a lot of fun. But we're just friends Brooke, y'know that."

"For now." She teased, "Seriously Tutor girl. Jake's cute. And he's really nice. And you two would make _the_ cutest couple." Her dimples flashed, "I mean of course after Nathan and me."

"Of course." Haley smiled.

"But seriously, you guys are so much alike, it's perfect. He's like your counterpart on the basketball team. He's quite, reserved, focused _and _incredibly smart. I mean if ever there were two people that go so well together it'd be you two."

Haley shook her head, "Just because we're into the same things and are alike does not mean that we'd work as a couple." she pointed out.

"Sure it does. I mean look at me and Nathan. I mean yeah we fight and stuff…but the chemistry is there. And it's there between you and Jake too. I can see it."

"Well just because you see it, doesn't mean I _feel_ it. At least not in that way." She looked over at her, "Anyways why are you so insistent on me and Jake? "

Brooke shrugged, "I just want to see you happy Tutor Girl."

"And having a guy equals being happy?" she asked doubtfully.

Brooke laughed, "Look don't take it the wrong way. I just…well I haven't seen you with anyone in like forever. I don't know Haley…I think it's time we get you back into the dating game. And why not Jake? You two have been friends practically since birth and they do say that friends make the best lovers." she winked at her. "And think about it, how cool would it for all four of us to double date?"

"Sorry to burst your little fantasy bubble, but unlike you and Nathan...Jake and I have never looked at each other like that. He's like my brother."

"But Haley-"

She cut her off, "Look I'd be lying if I said that I don't feel like I'm missing out on something every time I look at you and Nathan. But I just don't want to rush into anything okay? I'm not going to date every guy I have something in common with. "she shrugged, "I'm okay just being me right now. Love is unexpected y'know? You don't have to rush off in search for it, it will come to you. I'm sure the right guy for me is out there somewhere and eventually he'll come crashing into my life and-"

"Hey! Watch out!" she looked at Brooke questioningly and in the next second she slammed right into someone. Her bag full of brand-new school supplies went flying out of her grasp and she stumbled backwards before a hand reached out and steadied her. She looked up and found herself looking into the most intense shade of blue eyes she had ever seen.

* * *

Lucas's breath caught in his throat as he stared down at her. She was staring at him wide-eyed and he realized just how close they were standing. God she was even more beautiful up close, he decided, taking in her large chocolate brown eyes and flawless skin. Her long honey blonde hair flowed softly down her back and she was dressed in a simple white t-shirt and jean skirt.

"Why don't you guys watch where you're going?" a voice snapped, breaking him from his trance. He slowly let go of the blonde and directed his gaze to the pretty brunette. She was eyeing him and Peyton annoyed. He looked quickly at Peyton who was glaring at Brooke.

Knowing his best friend was about to say something that would no doubt spark a fight, he turned towards the other two girls, "I'm sorry. It was my fault. I should've been paying attention to where I was going."

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Yeah, obviously." She said icily.

Peyton pressed her lips together and crossed her arms in front of her annoyed. But one look from Lucas was enough to keep her from saying anything.

Haley looked quickly at Brooke, obviously the brunette had recognized the blonde boy quicker than she had and that was the reason she was being so nasty.

Getting over her initial surprise, she managed a smile at the tall blonde in front of her. "I'm sorry, look I'm such a klutz and I wasn't paying attention." Looking down at the floor she bent down and that's when Lucas realized that he had knocked over all her stuff. Stooping down to help her, their hands brushed.

His skin tingled at the simple contact and he prayed to God that his face wasn't showing her just how much she was affecting him with her proximity.

She seemed not to notice and stood up, gathering everything in her hands and smiling at him gratefully. "Thanks."

Brooke rolled her eyes as she watched the scene unfold in front of her. "Don't thank him Haley. It was the least he could do after knocking over all your stuff." she turned to him and gave him an icy glare. "Now c'mon we are so out of here."

Haley sighed and gave them an embarrassed smile, "Sorry." She knew she shouldn't have to apologize for her best friend but she couldn't help it.

"You don't have to apologize for her." He said softly.

She looked over at him surprised, wondering how he had know. Their eyes locked and Haley suddenly found it hard to look away from his intense gaze.

"Haley!" Brooke called over to her, a couple of steps ahead of her, looking annoyed.

"Right. I have to go." She mumbled, slightly startled. Giving them a warm smile, she walked past him and Peyton to catch up with her best friend.

Lucas looked after her as she caught up with Brooke and looped her arm through hers. Almost as if feeling his gaze she turned back and he turned away embarrassed, willing his heart rate to return to normal.

"Wow. That was..um..intense." Peyton laughed. She gave him a knowing smile, "She seems nice."

Lucas looked over at her and smiled, "Yeah." He said softly.

"Can't say the same about the other one. What a bitch."

Lucas laughed, "Better not let her hear you talk like that if you want any shot at the squad." He teased.

Peyton's eyes widened in realization, "Oh my god. I'm actually going to have to be_ nice_ to her." She shook her head, "What am I getting myself into?"

Lucas couldn't help but laugh and she turned to glare at him.

"Oh, c'mon Peyt. That's funny."

She shook her head at him and pushed him playfully before joining in his laughter.

* * *

"Brooke you didn't have to be so mean."

Brooke raised an eyebrow, "And_ you_ didn't have to be so nice."

"It was an accident. It happens."

"Haley, that's not what I'm talking about and you know it."

Haley sighed, "I know, it's just…do you ever wonder…look I get that the situation between him and Nathan is screwed up but…I mean we don't even _know_ him."

"I'm just doing what any loyal girlfriend would do." she shot her a pointed look. "And you should do what any loyal friend should too."

"And what's that? Hating the guy" she asked incredulously, not really understanding her logic.

"Well…yeah…" she sighed, "Look, there are sides Haley. And we.." she gestured between them two. "Are on Nathan's. We've known him forever and that's just the way it is. And anyways, I don't understand why you're so upset. It's never bothered you before."

Haley looked away, "I guess I never realized how wrong it was."

"Look, it doesn't matter anyways. He stays out of our way and we stay out of his."

Haley nodded. She didn't know why but something told her that they would all be seeing a lot more of Lucas Scott. She tried to shake off that feeling and turned to Brooke, "So are you ever going to tell me what went down with Rachel?"

Brooke rolled her eyes, "You will not believe this. That slut had the audacity to go behind my back and try to sell the other girls on the idea of her being the co-captain of the squad. I mean of all the nerve! Of course I told her in no uncertain terms that she could just forget it."

Haley smiled, "Ah..it's all becoming clear to me…pissed off Brooke…open water…soaked Rachel.." she shook her head, "I can't believe I missed that."

Brooke giggled, "It was quite a sight. But all least now she knows that Brooke Davis is not to be messed with."

Haley gave her a concerned look, "I don't know Tigger….something tells me Rachel won't brush it off that easily."

Brooke waved it off, "Please. What could she possibly do? Besides I'm not scared of her. I say bring it on bitch!"

Haley laughed and Brooke slung an arm around her, "So listen….cheerleader tryouts are tomorrow after school, I need you to be there okay?"

"Sure. But what do you need me for?"

"Are you kidding me? There's only one spot on the squad after Cindy left. I need to make sure I pick the very best there is."

Haley shrugged innocently, "Why not ask Rachel then? She's good at this kind of stuff."

Brooke bumped her with her hip, "Ha ha. No but seriously you're one of the best we've got on the squad and I trust your judgment, so what do you say best friend?"

"Sure. Count me in." she smiled at her, "Tomorrow should be an interesting day."

* * *

Lucas entered his room and flung himself on the bed. He closed his eyes completely exhausted. He and Peyton had paraded the mall for a couple of hours. After grabbing a bite to eat, Peyton had insisted that they go back to her house and listen to the new album she had bought. Never able to say no to her and being one to appreciate music he had agreed. He had stayed over longer than intended and then on the way home he ran into his friends at the River court and played a short game with them. He told them that he was going to try out for the Ravens and they had all been excited for him.

He sighed and stared up at the ceiling. He was nervous, no doubt. But he realized it wasn't just from the prospect of playing for his school, but because well, he hadn't told his mom just yet. He had been putting it off ever since he made the decision the night before. But he knew he had to tell her soon. He just didn't know how she was going to react.

"Lucas?" he was interrupted from his thoughts as he heard his mom out in the hall.

He sighed and sat up. Well it was now or never, he thought. "In here mom!"

Karen Roe popped her head in his room, "I didn't even hear you come in." she opened the door and stepped inside. She sat at the foot of his bed and smiled at him, "How was your day at the mall? You find everything you need?"

Lucas' mind drifted back to the moment when he literally ran into Haley. He remembered the smile the pretty blonde had given him and the way his pulse had quickened when he had her close. He smiled softly, "_Almost_ everything."

His mom gave him a questioning glance and he shook his head smiling. He paused for a second. "Mom…I uh…there's something I have to tell you."

Karen smiled, "Does this have to do with Peyton?"

He couldn't help but notice the hopeful tone in her voice and laughed, "_No_, mom. How many times have we had this conversation?"

"Oh." She smiled sheepishly. It was no secret to Lucas _or_ to Peyton that his mom had always felt that there was more to their friendship. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on her part, but she had always been positive that the two blondes were destined for each other. She shook her head and smiled at him gently, "Okay. Then what is it?"

Lucas looked down and picked at the invisible lint on the comforter. He was _really_ nervous. "I've uh…" he looked up at her, "Mom…do you think I'm good?" she raised an eyebrow, "At basketball I mean."

She nodded, "Hmmm…I guess you can shoot a basket or two." She said teasingly. He laughed and she patted his leg, "Yes, my boy. You're good. You're very good."

"Good enough to play for the Ravens?" he asked quietly.

Her smile died on her lips, "What?"

He let out a breath, "Mom…Keith talked to the coach and he has an opening this season and…"

She shook her head determinedly, "No. Absolutely not."

"Mom!" he cried, "Look…it's hard…I know okay? I know what this means…for you_**….**_for _**him….**_but…I just want to know if I'm good enough."

She stood up, "Lucas, you_ are_ good enough. And you don't need to prove that to anyone. You don't need to prove that to _him_." She headed for the door.

"Mom…that's not why I want to do it." He denied. He shook his head in frustration, "Can't you just give it a chance? Give_ me_ a chance."

She turned to look back at him, "You can just forget about it Lucas." She shook her head sadly and stepped out, shutting the door gently behind him.

Lucas lay back down on his bed in frustration. "Great. What in the world am I supposed to do now?" he muttered.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Hey guys, thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate it. This chapter will take place on the first day of their junior year. Like I've said before I really want to take my time with this story to fully develop where I want it to go and for those of you wanting some Pathan, Laley or Brucas action please bare with me as it will take me a while for my story to get there. Oh! To answer some of your questions on the switching of the characters, it's not really that relevant to the story I guess. Just know that Peyton is Lucas's best friend and Haley,Brooke, Jake and Nathan grew up together and Brooke and Nathan are the Golden couple in Tree Hill.

"So she just said no. No explanation, no reason? Just no?" Peyton stepped out of the passenger seat of her car and hoisted her backpack over her shoulder. She slammed the door shut and gave her best friend a questioning glance.

He stepped out of the driver's seat and tossed her keys over to her. "No explanations were really necessary I guess. I mean it's not like I _don't_ know why she's against it."

"I guess I can understand where she's coming from." Peyton looped her arms through his as they made their way towards the main entrance. "What are you going to do?"

"Well I'm not going to go up against her wishes if that's what you mean."

She shot him a surprised look, "What?" she shook her head at him, "Is this the same Lucas who told me he was going to be_ the_ hottest basketball player Tree Hill has ever seen?"

He sighed as they reached their lockers, which just happened to be right next to each other. He fiddled with the combination, "This is my mom we're talking about Peyton. I respect how she feels about this and you know I would never do anything to intentionally hurt her."

She leaned against her locker and gazed at him, "I know. But I also know that you're not one to give up easily when you really want something."

He shrugged and said nothing. She stared at him suspiciously, "Wait." She let out a small laugh, "I can't believe this. You're actually _relieved."_ She realized.

He looks at her strangely, "What are you talking about?"

"You're relieved that she said no. Because now you don't actually have to go through with it."

He slammed his locker shut and turned to her, "That's crazy."

She shook her head, "No it's not. It's the truth and you know it. You're scared Lucas. You're scared because you know that joining the team will force you to deal with what you've been so content ignoring before."

He scoffed, "Oh really? And what would that be?"

Peyton opened her mouth to answer but paused as her gaze caught something across the hall. Nathan Scott and Brooke Davis had just made their grand entrance and were walking hand in hand towards them. She was chattering away and he was laughing at whatever she was saying. She turned towards Lucas, "You can't ignore this forever. Eventually you'll both have to deal with it." she said softly.

He glanced towards Nathan who at that moment happened to look up and notice the two of them by the lockers. Nathan frowned and turned to say something to his girlfriend, who in turn turned to look at them, smirking slightly.

Lucas sighed and looked back at Peyton who was eyeing him sympathetically, "Some things are better left alone." He said, pushing away from his locker and walking in the other direction.

"Not always." She muttered. She started to follow him but paused as she turned to look back at the handsome brunette couple across the hall. The pretty cheerleader was chattering away and he was looking down at her smiling but for the briefest of a second he looked up and watched the other boy disappear down the hall.

* * *

"What time is practice running till today?" Brooke looked down to inspect her nails as she leaned against the lockers.

He turned to look at her startled, obviously unaware of her question, "Huh?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I said what time is your practice running till today?"

He shrugged and pulled out a book, "I dunno. Whitey's going to be in one of his moods today."

"Isn't he always?"

He laughed, "Yeah, but today a little more so than usual." She gave him a questioning glance, "Word around school is that Jacob West won't be back this year." He explained.

"Huh." She said, "What a waste."

He shot her a look, "Yeah, I'm sure_ you_ think so."

She giggled, "Wait, Cindy Talley's not coming back this year either." Her eyes sparkled curiously, "What are the odds of that? A member of the basketball team and a member of the squad both MIA on the first day of school? What do you think the story behind that is?"

He rolled his eyes, "I really doubt one thing has to do with the other. You're just looking for some good gossip."

She grinned, "Maybe. But what's wrong with wanting a little drama?"

He thought back to the earlier encounter with his rumored half-brother. "I think this school has more than its fair share of it." He muttered, slamming his locker shut.

She paused as she looked over at him. She chose to ignore his comment, knowing he wouldn't want to get into it anyway. She slipped her hand in his as they both started to walk towards their class. "So I guess this means Whitey's going to be looking for a replacement right?"

He shrugged, "I guess."

"And _I'm_ holding tryouts today to replace Cindy." She grinned, "Two new members in Tree Hill's elite? Yup. It's definitely going to be an interesting year."

He rolled his eyes, "Who cares?"

She shot him a look, "_I_ do. Besides this school needs a little shaking up. Things around here are starting to get a little boring."

He looked around the almost empty hallway, "Boring?" he grinned down at her and tugged on her hand backing her up against the lockers, "Wanna do something about that?" he whispered huskily, leaning down and tickling her neck with his lips.

She giggled and pushed him away slightly. She pulled him in by the shirt into the empty janitor's closet across the hall. She assaulted his lips with her own and he kissed her back hungrily as he fumbled with the buttons of her shirt, pushing it off her shoulders.

She ran her hands under his shirt as she kissed him back. She fumbled with the rim of his jeans as he pulled away from her long enough to slip his shirt over his head and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Who said the first day of school was boring?"

* * *

"What's a hot girl like you doing all alone?"

Haley looked up from her lunch and stared up at Felix who was grinning down at her. She rolled her eyes as he sat down next to her, "Hey Felix."

He laughed, "Wow. How's that for a greeting?" he looked around the quad, "So you didn't answer my question. Where's your posse?"

"Posse?" She shrugged her shoulders and bit into her lunch, "I dunno. I haven't seen Brooke and Nathan since this morning."

"Looks like they decided to make the most out of their lunch hour huh?" he laughed as he nodded towards the parking lot.

Haley looked up and saw her two friends making out by his car. She couldn't help but smile, "Right. What's more fun than hooking up every chance you get on the first day of school?"

He looked over at her grinning, "What about you?"

She glared over at him, "What about me?"

He laughed and held up his hands innocently, "Damn, James. Don't get all defensive. I was just going to ask you how your first day's been going so far."

"Yeah, right." She muttered. She shrugged, " The teachers are nice. A little boring maybe but…so far so good." She looked over at him, "What about you?"

He grinned, "My day's going pretty well." He leaned over to her and whispered in her ear, "In fact it just got much better."

She looked at him and sighed, "Felix…will you just stop?"

"What?" he asked pulling away innocently. "I just want to be your friend Haley."

She rolled her eyes, "Please Felix. Like I don't know what _that_ means." She looked away from him and her gaze landed on a blonde boy a few tables away eyeing them, frowning slightly. Their eyes locked and she unconsciously slid away from Felix putting some distance between them.

Felix seemed to not notice as he continued chattering away. About what, she wasn't sure. She was looking over at the blonde boy, eyeing him curiously. There was something about him…about the way he was looking at her…that she couldn't quite pinpoint. She had noticed it the day before when she had literally run into him at the mall. And she had noticed it today when he had walked in and sat behind her in AP Literature. It was almost as if he was trying to figure her out. As if with one look, he could reach inside her soul...

She shook her head and looked away from his intense gaze. Felix was looking at her questioningly, "I'm sorry what?" she asked.

He shook his head at her confused. "Where's your head at?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off as someone plopped down next to her.

"Yo! What's up gang?" Tim grinned over at her and she laughed.

"Hey Tim." She smiled over at Bevin and the rest of the team as they all sat around her, all of them chattering away about how their first day of school was going. She turned towards them and laughed along with them, pushing away her curiosity towards Nathan's rumored half-brother to the back of her mind. At least for now.

* * *

Lucas bit into his sandwich as he watched her laughing along with the rest of the cheerleaders and basketball team. Felix, he noticed, was still sitting dangerously close to her. She, it looked, didn't seem to mind at all.

His chest tightened uncomfortably as he saw the two of them laughing together. He knew what kind of guy Felix was. He'd heard the rumors. And Haley had never struck him as that type of girl. Sure she was beautiful and popular and a cheerleader and he was well aware of the fact that he probably wasn't the only guy in the entire school with a crush on her …but still…Felix didn't seem like the type of guy she would go for. In fact, he was pretty sure he'd never seen them together before. Sure they ran in the same circle but still….

Maybe a lot had changed over the summer.

"Ugh! Is this day over yet?" Peyton grumbled as she dropped her tray on the table and slid in next to him.

He turned towards her laughing, "Rough day?" he asked.

Peyton rolled her eyes and bit into her food, "You have no idea! First of all I was extremely late to English….."

He smiled as he listened to her rant, pushing his infatuation with the blonde cheerleader across the quad to the back of his mind. At least for now.

* * *

"Nathan! Stop!"

Lucas looked up annoyed from his book. They were at it again and they weren't exactly being very subtle. He rolled his eyes as he saw her push him away giggling only to have him lean further into her so he could kiss her. He sighed frustrated. Didn't they realize there were other people in the library that were actually trying to get some work done?

He looked up at the librarian who only shook her head in disgust and turned away. _Of course she didn't say anything, _Lucas thought. Why would she? They're Nathan and Brooke. Tree hill's Golden Couple. They could pretty much get away with anything and they knew that. Still, why couldn't they do that somewhere else? He shook his head and turned back to his work, trying to block out the nauseating sight of the two of them.

Just then Coach Durham entered the library and shook his head at the sight of the two popular teens in the middle of the room. "Hey Scott!" he called out subtly enough as to not disturb the other students, but loud enough to catch the attention of the two boys.

Nathan pulled away from Brooke and directed his gaze to Whitey, "What's up coach?"

Whitey shook his head, "Not you." he glanced over Nathan's shoulder and pointed to the blonde boy who's looking at him curiously. "You. Come with me."

Lucas looked at him startled and stood up, gathering his books. As he walked past the two brunette's he caught Nathan's angry glare.

So did Coach Durham, who turned back to his star basketball player, "And you. Get your mouth out of your girlfriend's mouth and read a book or something." He smirked, walking out with Lucas close behind him.

Nathan sighed and turned to look back at his girlfriend. She smiled at him softly and placeda hand on his shoulder, "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about boyfriend." She says trying to sound reassuring.

He shakes his head, "Right. Cuz Whitey makes it a point to be friendly to the entire student body." He muttered. He gathered his books and pushed his chair away from the table, looking at her pointedly, "You did say things needed a little shaking up around here didn't you? How's this for interesting?" he shook his head in amusement and got up.

She stood up as well and slipped her hand in his as they both walked out of the library. She looked over at him, "Well whatever happens just don't do anything stupid okay?"

He didn't say anything as he stared angrily ahead at him, trying to wrap his mind around the possible situation. She bit her lip and sighed. Somehow she knew he wouldn't heed her warning.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Hey guys thanks for the reviews! So anyways this chapter was really hard for me to write because I don't know much about cheerleading, but either way I hope you guys like it. Some scenes might be familiar to you and honestly I don't think it was my best chapter but either way please let me know what you think! **

Lucas cleared his throat as he looked over at the older man, "What did you want to talk to me about Coach Durham?"

"All my players call me Whitey." He said pointedly as he swung open the gym doors and stepped inside.

Lucas paused before following him inside, "Well forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but I'm not one of your players."

Whitey picked up a basketball off the bleachers, "Look I've never been one to bullshit." He smirked, "Just ask my boys. So I'm going to cut straight to the point. I've got an opening in my lineup. Chance of a lifetime. What do you say?" he tossed the ball over to him.

Lucas caught it easily and stared at it for a second. He straightened out his shoulders, "I say Jacob West was a hell of a player. Good luck finding a replacement." He tossed the ball back to the older man and walked past him.

Whitey caught the ball and set it aside, "I was under the impression that I already had. In fact I have it on pretty good authority that you were planning to join. What changed between then and now?"

He turned around, "I've had time to think about it." He shrugged, "And honestly? It doesn't hold the appeal it once did."

"For you or for your mother?"

Lucas takes in a sharp breath, "With all due respect Coach Durham, you don't know what you're talking about."

Whitey smiled at him regretfully, "Sadly, I do son. You forget I've been coaching at this school for more than 20 years." He paused, "Want to know something? When Dan told me Karen was pregnant I encouraged him to follow through on his scholarship and head to college."

"Well trust me when I tell you that you did me and my mom both a favor." He replied sharply.

"Look son. Just think about it will you? I know you want to protect your mother and maybe even yourself from a potentially hurtful situation…but from what I hear, you've got potential. And I could really use you."

Lucas paused for a second, thinking over the older man's words. In the next instance he shook his head determinedly, "Trust me, Coach Durham, I'm not what you're looking for. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a class to go to." He strode past the older man, leaving him shaking his head sadly as he watched him walk out of the gym.

* * *

Brooke rubbed her temples and groaned quietly. She looked up and regarded the chubby blonde girl in front of her, "Thank you Jenny. That's all for today."

She looked at her eagerly, "Did you like it? I mean it was totally unique right?"

"That's one way to put it," Brooke said under her breath. She heard Haley snickering next to her and sent her a quick glare. She turned back to Jenny, "I'll be posting who made the cut tomorrow by the gym."

"Can't you just let me know today?"she said in her whiny voice.

Brooke bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming. She took a deep breath and smiled sweetly at her, "Jenny, this is your third year trying out. You know the routine."

"Oh well okay!" the chubby blonde beamed and picked up her pom-poms off the floor. She turned and waved at them enthusiastically before stepping out.

Once she was gone, Brooke dropped her head on her hands, "What am I going to do?" she wailed, "They were all awful. Not one of them was even remotely okay. Not one single one!" she ran her fingers through her shiny locks in despair, "What am I supposed to do now?"

Haley placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder sympathetically, "Brooke they weren't all _that_ bad."

"You're right. They were terrible!" she cried.

Haley bit back a smile at her best friend's dramatic antics, "Look, why don't you sleep on it?" she said, ever the sensible one. "I'm sure tomorrow it won't seem as bad. And you can always hold a second tryout." She pointed out.

"Maybe you're right." She sighed, "Are we done for tonight?"

Haley glanced down at her clipboard, "Yup. That was the last one."

Brooke gathered her stuff and stood up, slinging her bag over her shoulder, "That was totally depressing," she sighed dramatically, "I'm in dire need of a hot fudge sundae, with the works. And a new lipstick. And maybe some new shoes. You wanna head down to the mall with me?" she gave her the puppy eyes, "It's still early."

Haley laughed, shopping was Brooke's quick fix whenever she was remotely upset about anything, "Sure." She stood up as well."Let me just run over to the tutor center and-"

She was cut off as the gym doors swung open. They both looked over startled at the tall girl who was looking at them expectantly, "Sorry. I didn't sign up." She looked between them , "But, I'm not too late am I?"

Haley shook her head and smiled at her. Brooke, however, slumped back down in her seat, glaring at the girl in front of her, "You've got to be kidding me." she muttered.

* * *

"Have you seen Lucas?"

Karen looked up from her spot behind the counter, "Well hello to you too Keith." She smiled, "No I haven't seen him. Now that I think about it he was supposed to be here after school to help out. But I haven't heard from him. Maybe he's with Peyton."

"Or maybe he changed his mind…" he muttered to himself.

Karen looked over at him questioningly, "About what?"

"Oh. Nothing. Listen when you see him tell him I want to talk to him."

"Wait." She stopped him, "This, by any chance, doesn't have to do with him playing for the Ravens does it?" she crossed her arms in front of her, "Because I think I made it pretty clear last night that he was not doing it."

He looked back at her and sighed, "Have you ever thought that maybe this is something that he wants to do for himself?"

"I'm thinking what right did you have to go behind my back asking Whitey to give him a chance."

"That's not the issue here and you know it. Lucas is a grown boy and he can make his own decisions. You can't protect him forever from Dan. It's inevitable."

She said nothing and he pressed on, "Why does him playing for the team have to be about Dan? Why can't it be about him for once?"

"Don't you see? When it comes to the Ravens, it _will_ be about Dan. Or did you forget that his _legitimate_ son is their star player? I know Dan. And you know Dan. And he's not exactly going to be thrilled with this. I just want to spare him having to go through that. I'm protecting my son, like any mother would."

"You can't protect him forever," he repeated.

She sighed, "But why now? He's been doing okay for the last 16 years without him. And he's been doing pretty good just playing on the River court. He doesn't need that in his life. Not now."

"Because." He sighed, "He should know that he's good ...not just playground good, but good, period. And he could use_ that_ in his life." He gave her a small smile, "And just so you know. Before I talked to Whitey, Lucas had made the decision to try out for the team on his own." He gave her a small wave and left, leaving her thinking over his words.

* * *

Dan looked up from his spot on the couch as his son walked into the living room. "You're home a little early." he narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously, "Did you skip practice? Because if you did-"

"Relax Dad. I didn't." Nathan cut him off as he dropped his gym bag on the floor and headed towards the kitchen. He came out a second later with a coke in hand, "Whitey decided to call off practice." He flopped down on the couch opposite his father and took a huge gulp of the cold drink.

Dan shook his head, "On the first day back? What's his problem now?"

"Apparently he's a little upset that West won't be back this year." He shrugged, eyeing the college game his father was watching.

"Listen son. I got an interesting call today from Keith."

"I'm guessing he didn't call to invite you over to dinner." He said dryly.

Dan nodded slowly, "What's this I hear about Whitey asking.."

Nathan looked over at his father quickly, "What? Asking your other son to play?"

Dan exhaled sharply, "Do_ not_ call him that."

"Well what do you want me to call him? I mean he's got our last name Dad."

"Look the fact that he has my last name is only wishful thinking on his mother's part."

"Whatever. It's a screwed up situation. People talk about this shit."

Dan shook his head, ignoring his comment,"I always knew that old grouch had a few screws too loose. What was he thinking inviting this kid to play?"

"Beats me." Nathan muttered, his face darkening at the mere thought.

"Well you bet I'm going to have a talk with him about this." He paused as he regarded his son thoughtfully, "But in the meanwhile I want you to do everything in your power to get this kid to back off."

"What for?" he scoffed, "That punk is not going to take my spot in the lineup if that's what you're afraid of."

"No, but maybe_ you_ should be. You need to look at the big picture son. You really have a shot at something this year and you don't need anyone, let alone this kid coming in disrupting the offense taking away shots."

Nathan sighed, "Look if Whitey wants this loser on the team, there's really nothing I can do to stop him okay? You've got nothing to worry about, he's not a threat to me whatsoever."

"You're still not getting it. You ever think this kid might be a little…I don't know…_resentful…_of the way things turned out? In his place in all of this? In _your_ place in all of this?"

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Of what? As the chosen one?"

Dan nodded, "Exactly. What makes you think Whitey offering him a shot is not going to threaten your status in any way? First he comes in and tries to take your spot on the team…completely threatening everything we've worked for…what makes you think he'll stop there? Might even go as far as making a play for your girlfriend…."

Nathan looked up at him, his brow furrowing. He searched his mind trying to think of any time he might have caught the tall blonde checking out Brooke. Now that he thought about it, he _had_ noticed him staring over at his lunch table quite often, his gaze intent on the cheerleaders.

Dan raised an eyebrow at him, knowing he'd struck a nerve. "Are you really going to let him take everything you've come to achieve?" he continued, "You're the star of this team Nathan. It's _your_ team. And don't you forget that. The question is, what are you going to do? Are you going to sit back and let him try to take what's yours? Or are you going to go out there and show him what his place in all this is?"

Nathan nodded, "Okay.." he said slowly, "You're right. I can't just let that punk come in and try to take it from me." He stood up, a determined glint in his eyes, "I'll show him who's running things around here." He picked up his gym bag and strode up the stairs to his bedroom.

Dan looked after him a satisfied smirk on his face, "That's my boy." He said to himself smugly.

Nathan reached his room, pulling his signature basket ball jersey over his head. He dug around his gym bag pulling out his cell phone. He punched in a familiar number and held the phone to his ear, "Tim? Listen man I need you to come with me…"

* * *

"I know who you are." Brooke smirked at the curly blonde in front of her, "You're that emo chick who hangs out with the…uh…bastard son right?"

"Brooke!" Haley cried, horrified. She turned back Peyton. "Sorry. Long day." She said apologetically, "What's your name?"

"Peyton Sawyer." She said through gritted teeth, glaring at the pretty brunette, who was eyeing her Chucks and Ramones t-shirt critically.

Haley scribbled down her name on the clipboard, "Okay. We need you to do a series of routine-"

"So what's the story between you two anyway?" Brooke cut her off, directing her gaze to Peyton. "Rumor is you two are shacked up. Did he pull a Danny and knock you up too?"

Peyton fought the urge to roll her eyes. _You have to be nice if you stand a chance._ She reminded herself, Lucas's words from the other day echoing in her mind. She pushed a curly behind her ear and smiled tightly, "I didn't realize a background check was a requirement for trying out."

"And I didn't realize girls like _you_ were into cheerleading. Why don't you tell me the truth really. Did your little _boyfriend_ send you over here to dig up some dirt on a certain someone maybe? Because as you can see…basket ball practice has been cancelled, so you can run along now and stop wasting our time." she said coolly.

This time Peyton did roll her eyes, "That's so ridiculous, ever think maybe I just want to try out?"

Brooke smirked, "Okay. Fine, humor me. If anything it should be _interesting_ to see your kind try to be _cheerfu_l. I mean because you guys are all darkness-is-my-friend-i-hate-the-world-slash-my-own-wrists right?"

"Brooke…" Haley said warningly, shaking her head at her in dissaproval. Turning back to Peyton, she gave her a warm, friendly smile. "Okay, as I was saying the try-out consists of two parts. The first part, you have to do a series of simple combinations. A triple-herky, a round-off back hand spring back tuck and finishing up into a landing jump in the splits…"

"You're familiar with those terms right?" Brooke asked her sweetly, "Or would you like for us to do a demonstration?"

Peyton bit back her tongue. "No demonstration is necessary."

Haley sighed, "Okay…and the second part consists of you performing a simple cheer or dance that you have put together yourself. You can do it with music or without. Your choice. Did you bring anything with you?"

Peyton fished around in the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out a CD. She handed it to Haley and stepped back from the table.

"Okay then. Are you ready?"

Peyton looked at the two girls in front of her. Brooke was regarding her with an amused look, while Haley was smiling at her encouragingly. She took a deep breath and nodded. She took another step back and with one last look at the two girls proceeded to launch herself in the air into a triple herky, once back on her feet she ran at full speed and did a flawless round off back hand spring back tuck and effortlessly launched herself in the air into a perfect landing jump in the splits. She stayed in that position for a second trying to catch her breath. She stood up breathing heavily, looking at them in anticipation.

Haley grinned "Wow…Peyton that was awesome. Not one single flaw in those jumps. Right Brooke?" she asked pointedly.

Brooke looked at the curly blonde in front of her in surprise awe. She cleared her throat, "Sure, whatever. Ready for the second part goldilocks?"

Peyton smiled sweetly and nodded, not trusting herself to say anything nice. Haley popped open the CD player and inserted the CD Peyton had brought with her. Within seconds Joan Jett & the Blackhearts- I love Rock n Roll flowed through the speakers.

"Whoa, whoa, Wait!" Brooke reached across Haley and abruptly hit the stop button. She turned back to Peyton, "Are you serious? You do realize that you're trying out for the Cheer Squad right? As in you have to be _cheery_. News flash this is not the Emo Punk club okay? I mean our job is to pump up the crowd not drive them to suicide! At the very least you could've brought the Britney Spears version. It's more our generation."

"Okay, first of all the Blackhearts is hardly Emo Punk. Second of all, I didn't realize there was a specific musical selection for me to choose from for the routine. And you want to talk about music that will drive the crowd to suicide? Then let's talk about the generically overplayed bimbo that you call Britney Spears. I mean seriously, that-"

Brooke narrowed her eyes at her, "Look goldilocks I'm the captain and if I was you-"

"Okay, okay, enough!" Haley jumped in, "As much as I am enjoying this debate and as much as I appreciate your taste in music Peyton, let's get back to the task at hand okay? And this time." she looked at Brooke pointedly. "With no interruptions."

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Fine. Let's see what you got goldilocks."

Once again Haley hit the play button and both her and Brooke sat back and watched as Peyton threw herself into a simple dance. She strutted towards them and shook her hips from side to side, throwing up her hands in the air. It was unlike the other routines but there was something so sensual and flirty about her movements that would no doubt draw the attention from the crowd. Brooke, while she hated to admit it, knew it was good and it was a far cry from the awful tryouts from the past girls.

Once the song was over, Haley looked over at Brooke and smiled appreciatively. She took out the CD and handed it back to the blonde. She looked at Brooke expectantly.

Brooke sighed and ignored Haley. She smiled sweetly at Peyton, "Thank you goldilocks. That will be all for today. I'll be posting who made the cut tomorrow." She refused to look at Haley, knowing her best friend was glaring at her.

Peyton smiled back just as sweetly, "Sure, thank _you_ for your time. It's _always_ a pleasure." She turned to look at Haley and gave her a genuine smile. Haley gave her a smile and winked at her. _'You got it_" she mouthed and Peyton couldn't help but smile at her. She grabbed her CD and her backpack and walked out of the gym, shutting the doors quietly behind her.

Haley turned back to the brunette, "Brooke…what was that about? You could've told her right here right now that she made the squad, instead you're making her wait till tomorrow?"

Brooke gathered her stuff quickly, not meeting her eyes, "She's not_ in_ yet Haley. I've got to go home..and..review the options before I make a decision."

Haley rolled her eyes, "What options? You yourself said they were all awful! I mean what's there to think about? Peyton's clearly ahead of all of them."

Brooke pushed her chair back and slung her bag over her shoulder, "Are you kidding me? She's not the cheerleader type. I mean you saw her…she's all chucks and dark eyeliner..not to mention her music taste sucks."

"Who cares? She's got the moves. Are you seriously going to stand here and tell me there's a type?" she placed her hands on her hips. "Uh, hello? I'm the honor roll student who tutors others on her free time."

"That's different. _You're_ different."

"How so?"

"Well…you're not bitchy and weird…and you're also not the bastard child's girlfriend." She said quickly. "Her image is totally wrong and what were we talking about yesterday? Loyalty remember? We're on two opposites sides of the Scott War, remember that."

"That is so stupid, Brooke. And now you're just grasping at straws. Who cares about all that? Look the girl is good okay? And that's all that matters. We need someone like her and if you could just put aside your preconceptions of her you'll see that too."

Brooke sighed, contemplating her options, "I don't like her." She warned her, "But..I guess…fine she's good. She's very good." She admitted, "We'll just have to work on her image a little bit…but…"

Haley suppressed a laugh, somehow she doubted Peyton would let Brooke make her over. She slung an arm around her, "But?"

She sighed dramatically, "But she's in okay? Alert the media…there's a new cheerleader in town." She said sarcastically.

* * *

"I can't believe you shot down Whitey. Is you crazy man?" Skills shook his head at his friend, flabbergasted.

"Yeah." Junk piped up, "Aren't you the one that told us you were planning on taking the Ravens by storm?"

Lucas caught the ball Skills tossed his way and dribbled up towards the basket, "So I changed my mind. So what? I'd rather be playing here with you guys than with those guys." He tossed the ball up towards the net and smiled as it made the familiar _Swoosh._

Skills caught the rebound, "Look dawg, I've been guarding you almost every night since we was 12 years old, right?

Lucas smiled smugly, "And I've kicked your ass how many times?"

Skills rolled his eyes and bounced the ball back to him, "It just seems like a big mistake dawg."

"No. A mistake would be playing with them. I don't owe them anything. And I don't have to prove anything to them. I know I'm good." He smiled, "_You_ know I'm good. And I like playing here. We belong here. _I _belong here."

"Luke, man you know you're one of my best friends, right? Ain't nothing never gonna change that. But keep it real dawg. You don't belong here. You never have."

Lucas rolled his eyes, "Yeah thanks for that Skills." He dribbled up to the basket again and slammed the ball into the net.

"Nice shot." A voice called out behind him, "Think you can hit that against a double team, down by 2, 20 seconds on the clock, packed house screaming at you?"

Lucas turned around and frowned as he watched Nathan walking towards them with Tim, the trademark cocky smirk firmly in place. "What do you want?" he snapped.

He scoffed, glaring at him, "What do I want? What the hell do _you_ want man? I mean, other than my spot in the lineup? Or maybe even my hot girlfriend? Huh?" he stepped closer to him and plucked the ball from him, "None of us want you on the team. I don't want you. The guys don't want you. My girl and her girls sure as hell don't want you."

Skills came to stand next to Lucas, "Look dawg, why don't you back off?"

Nathan looked over at Tim and laughed, "Isn't that sweet? Having your friends back you up and all that. Can't even defend yourself huh punk?" He smirked, "You're a bigger loser than even I thought."

Skills took a step towards him and Lucas placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. He turned and glared at Nathan angrily, "Look, why don't you just tell me what the hell you came here for." he snapped.

He dribbled the ball around them in a circle, "Look here's how it's going to go down. You and me. One on one. You can name the time and place. If you win, you can have my spot." He dribbled the basket up the court before slamming it down in the net. He turned and smirked, "But if I win, you crawl back in your little hole and you remember your place in all this." He bounced the ball back to him, "Unless you're too scared of course." He turned back to Tim, "Now why don't we get out of here and leave these little _girls_ to their little game?" Him and Tim both laughed and as they were leaving, Nathan turned back around, "Time and place baby! Time and place!"

Skills let out an angry sound, "Damn Dawg! Why didn't you just let me take him?" he turned to him, "At least tell me you're going to take him on his bullshit challenge…because if you don't. Then I will."

"I told you before. I have nothing to prove to those guys. And especially not to him." He watched as the two basket ball players got in his car, "But I will. Not for me." He said quietly, he turning back to look at Skills, "But for my mom."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Hey guys thanx for the reviews! Anyways here's the next chapter. This one was a little easier to write because…well because some of scenes are recycled from the show, anyways…Hope you guys like it.**

"Nathan challenged you?" Peyton looked up at Lucas from her spot on his bed, "Are you gonna do it?"

Lucas shrugged as he pulled his shirt over his head and walked over to his closet, "It's not like I have anything to prove to him."

Peyton sat up, "Yeah….but it would be so kick-ass if you showed him he's not the only one around here with talent."

He pulled out a fresh white T shirt and pulled it on, he grinned over at her, "Did Peyton Sawyer just say kick-ass?"

She picked up a pillow and threw it at him laughing, "Shut up!"

He picked it up and went to sit next to her, "I think I will do it though. Not for me." he looked at her, "But for my mom."

She nodded, understanding the reason behind that statement. "Does she know yet?"

"Know what?" they both looked up startled at Karen who was standing by the doorway, peering at them curiously.

"Oh!" Peyton glanced over at Lucas, "Um…I was just asking Lucas if you knew that I…uh…that I tried out for the cheer squad." She said quickly.

Lucas looked over at her surprised, "What?"

Peyton gave him a look and Karen smiled, "Honey, that's great. I didn't know you were into cheerleading."

"Neither did I." Lucas muttered.

She let out a nervous laugh, "Yeah well…It's a new year, expanding my horizons and all that, so I figured why not?" she fumbled for her bag and looked between them, "I'm uh going to head out. I've got a lot of homework…" she trailed off as she leaned over and pecked Lucas on the cheek, "Tell her!" she hissed in his ear. She straightened out and gave Karen a quick hug, "Bye, I'll see you tomorrow Karen." She gave Lucas a quick look behind Karen's back before heading out.

Karen chuckled, "So you guys were talking about the Ravens?"

He looked over at her startled, "What-what makes you say that?"

She smiled, "Well first of all…Peyton's a terrible liar."

He chuckled and she sat next to him on the bed, "And second of all…I kinda caught that last bit between the two of you."

He sighed and avoided her gaze, "Look ma…Please don't mad. I know you said I couldn't do it. And trust me I refused when Whitey asked me to join. But it's just that Nathan went over to the court today and he said some things and I-"

Karen cut him off and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Honey I'm not mad." She sighed, "At least not at you."

He gave her a questioning glance and she took his hand in hers, "I want to apologize to you Lucas. For being so quick to disregard the issue. I was thinking of my own issues at the time and it's not fair to you. You and I both know that joining the team will force you-me…to deal with things we haven't before."

He squeezed her hand, "I know, and it's okay. Really. I'm ready for that."

She shook her head, "But it's not about him. It doesn't have to be. I know that now." She smiled, "Your uncle Keith was kind enough to shed some light on it." She took a deep breath, "But what I want to say to you is…if you want to join the team. Go for it. If you want to play Nathan, do it. But do it for yourself Lucas. Not for me, not for Keith and certainly not for_ him_. You're a good kid Lucas and I don't want you to sit out your life on account of me. My past does not have to be your future okay?"

He smiled over at her and pulled her in for a hug, "Thanks mom. I love you."

She kissed him on the forehead, "I love you too Lucas." She pulled away from him and made her way to the door, "Now why don't you get some rest? You're going to need it to uh….what's the term you kids use? Ah…to kick Nathan's ass tomorrow."

He laughed, "Mom! I cannot believe you just said that!" he shook his head and she laughed, "Good night Lucas."

He smiled back at her, "Good night Mom." She shut the door behind her and he leaned back down on his bed, feeling as if a small weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He closed his eyes as he thought about what tomorrow would bring. Tomorrow would definitely be the day. He was going to call Nathan on his challenge.

* * *

"Nathan…" Brooke giggled, "We're supposed to be studying!"

"We are." He murmured against her neck, "I'm studying _you_." he pulled back to smile at her.

She pulled his head back down for a kiss, "This is why we should never study together." She murmured, running her fingers through his short hair, the books next to them long forgotten.

He kissed her back, "No wonder we're always so far behind." he agreed. He reluctantly got up and straightened out his shirt, "You know this is all your fault." He smirked.

She leaned over and brushed the shell of his ear with her lips, "Well you weren't complaining a minute ago baby." she whispered.

He groaned and pushed her back down gently onto the bed. His lips came crashing down on hers in a searing kiss, "You're killing me here Davis." He murmured, running his hand under her shirt.

She shivered, "Nathan…" she placed her palms on his chest and looked up into his baby blues, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but we really should stop. Our GPA can't suffer if we both want to stay on our respective teams."

He sighed, pulling her up with him, "You're right. Talking about that, how'd the tryouts go anyway?" he asked curiously.

She exhaled "Well you know that weird emo chick Lucas always hangs around with?"

He bristled at the mention of Lucas, "Yeah?"

She rolled her eyes, "Well apparently she has a secret hidden ability none of us knew about. She's the squad's newest member."

His eyebrows rose in surprise and he chuckled, "Seriously?" he shook his head, "Huh. Wouldn't have pegged _her _for a cheerleader."

"I know right?!" she ran her hand through her shiny locks, "But…well all the other girls were absolutely _terrible…_and she's _good." _She admitted, "But her image is totally wrong for the squad."

"I don't know," he grinned slyly, "I think she'll add a sorta _interesting_ flair."

She looked over at him quickly, "You're kidding right? The girl's a mess! Have you seen the way she dresses?" she shuddered, "God…tell me how I allowed for that to happen? It's going to be weird right? I mean she's his _girlfriend_…or whatever, and with _him_ on the team-"

"He's not going to be on the team." he cut her off angrily, "Not if I have anything to do with it." He muttered.

She looked at him, surprised at his outburst, although she knew she really shouldn't be, "What did you do?"

He looked back at her angrily, "Why would you assume I did anything?"

"Well…it's just the other day when Whitey-"

"Whitey has yet to realize that the team stopped being _his_ a long time ago." he snapped, "And why do you even care if I do something to the bastard or not?"

She took in a shaky breath, "I don't okay?" she leaned over and placed a hesitant kiss on his cheek, "Let's just forget about it." she said softly.

He shrugged her off and stood up, "Whatever. I need to refresh." He mumbled heading towards the shower. He turned to look back at her, "You coming or what?"

She sighed and reluctantly got up tugging her shirt over her head and dropping it on the bed. She tried to ignore the gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach that was telling her it was starting all over again. The summers were always just illusions between them. It was never the same once they started school again._ He_ was never the same. The only thing she could wonder was, how long would she put up with it this time?

* * *

"What's up with Whitey man?" Nathan asked the next day at lunchtime sliding in next to his friends at their usual table.

"He's losing it." Tyler shook his head, "That's the only way to explain it."

"Yeah," Tim agreed, "I can't believe this whole West thing has him wigging out like this. I mean the guy wasn't _that_ good. Why cancel practice because of it?"

Nathan shrugged, "That's the second time this week man. My dad's going to kill me." he bit into his sandwich, "If he doesn't get to Whitey first."

"How do you figure?"

Nathan smirked, "You obviously don't know my Dad." He shook his head, "He thinks I can carry the team with or without West and obviously Whitey doesn't see that."

"And how is that your fault?"

"Because if Whitey doesn't see it, then obviously I'm not working hard enough to prove it to him."

Tyler shook his head, "That's screwed up logic man."

"Yeah, well he's a screwed up man," he muttered.

"What's a bunch of cuties like yourselves doing eating all alone?" Brooke grinned as she strolled up to them, the rest of the cheerleaders following suit.

"Waiting for a girl like you obviously." Tyler grinned back and scooted over to make space for them.

"Hey watch it." Nathan glared at him playfully. He leaned over and kissed the brunette as she settled herself in next to him. "I'm sorry about yesterday." He whispered in her ear.

She threaded her fingers through his, "It's okay." She whispered back, _For now_, she couldn't help but think. She turned back to the other guys, "So! What were you guys talking about?"

Tyler shrugged, "Whitey cancelled another practice."

Haley raised an eyebrow, "Are you serious? Wow I didn't think he'd take Jacob's departure this hard."

"I don't know how long he's going to keep this up. I mean what's he going to do? Cancel the whole season cuz he has yet to find his little boy wonder?" Nathan scoffed.

Bevin looked up confused, "Wait." She turned to Brooke, "Didn't you say Whitey recruited that Lucas guy for the team?"

Brooke felt Nathan next to her stiffen. She glared at the blonde, "Bevin!" she hissed, "That's _not_ what I said."

"Yes you did, yesterday at practice you said that Whitey-"

Haley cleared her throat and gave Bevin a pointed look, "_Anyways_, you guys excited for the first game? It's less than a week away."

Bevin looked over at Nathan who was scowling down at his lunch. Her eyes lit up in acknowledgement and she concentrated on her lunch, deciding it was best if she didn't say anymore.

Brooke smiled over at Haley silently thanking her, "Yeah, you guys pumped up or what?"

Tim scoffed, "Whitey keeps on cancelling on us, we'll get pummeled for sure."

"Like you guys really need the practice." Brooke scoffed, "You guys were undefeated last season and you've got the _best_ offense and _the_ best team." she pointed out. She grinned "Not to mention, the best cheerleaders in town. Wait till you guys see the cheers we're putting together for you guys. It's going to blow you away." she said excitedly, "Just like you guys will blow the other team away. Seriously, you guys have nothing to worry about."

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Right, like your silly little cheers are going to help us win the game."

She glared at him, "Well your _attitude_ isn't going to help you win either." She snapped.

"Nothing's going to help you win." a voice interjected from behind them. Lucas smirked at them, his gaze directed at Nathan, "At least not without the help of your future point guard."

Nathan glared at him, "What _you_?" he laughed. He looked at his friends, "Did you hear that guys? The little punk actually thinks he stands a chance."

Lucas leaned across the table to stare directly at him, ""_In time we hate that which we often fear." _he quoted.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked angrily.

Lucas smirked, "In time you'll understand." He glanced back at the furious expression in his blue eyes, "In fact something tells me you already have." He pushed away from the table. "Tonight. The River Court. You and me." he started backing away from them, "We'll see who's the last one standing then _Scott_." He spat out that last part. "Oh! And if I win….I'm going to want something else." He locked eyes with the petite blonde who was staring at him in surprise awe. He let out a chuckle and walked off, leaving the rest of them staring after him in slight shock.

* * *

It was after school and Brooke and Haley and the rest of the girls were strewn around the gym stretching. Despite Whitey's latest antics, some of the guys from the team including Nathan and Tim were in the gym tossing a ball around and practicing their shots.

Brooke stretched her arms above her head and stood up, "All right girls, let's get to it."

They all stood up and Brooke looked around them quickly, "Anyone know where the hell Rachel is?"

Theresa shrugged, "I don't know. She wasn't in class either."

Brooke threw her hands up, "Unbelievable! I cannot believe her sometimes."

Bevin frowned, "Brooke…It's only one practice and you know she might actually be sick or something."

"Whatever, you know I'm going to have a talk with that girl about the importance of always being at practice, and that goes for all of you. Need I remind you guys of the importance of the first game of the year? Which by the way is in less than a week?"

"Calm down Cheer Nazi. We've got plenty of time." Haley teased stretching her arms in front of her, which earned her a glare from the pretty captain.

"I'm just saying…if none of you guys are willing to take this seriously-" she was cut off as a few whistles echoed behind her. She turned around and frowned as she noticed the attention of all the guys riveted to the curly blonde who had just stepped inside the gym. She was wearing a pair of blue shorts that showed off her long tanned legs and a white wife beater tied at the waist. Her curls were pulled back into a neat ponytail and she was looking around them uncertainly. Brooke couldn't help but notice just how much different she looked from the girl she was used to seeing. She also didn't fail to notice how Nathan's gaze slowly raked over the curly blonde, his lips curling into an appreciative smile.

"You're late." She snapped her voice ringing out through the hush that had fallen over the gym.

Peyton walked over to them tentaviley, hating how vulnerable she felt under the scrutinizing gaze of the brunette, "Sorry." She mumbled, taking her place next to Haley who smiled at her reassuringly.

She smirked, "Had a hard time finding the gym Goldilocks?"

"Brooke.." Haley said in a warning tone.

Brooke let out a breath and smiled tightly at Peyton, "Well now that you know where we practice at. It better not happen again, got it?"

Peyton bit her lip, refusing to give in to the brunette's biting tone. She let out a small breath and nodded.

"Okay then." Brooke clapped her hands together, "Like I was _saying_…we've got an important game coming up and we have to be in absolute top form…now remember…"

Peyton tuned her out as stretched her legs out in front of her letting her eyes wander over to the other side of the gym. Her gaze landed on Nathan Scott who met her gaze evenly. He looked her up and down and smirked, sending her a wink.

She rolled her eyes, turning away annoyed. She thought back to her conversation with Lucas the night before and smiled to herself. Tonight would definitely be the night that Lucas would show Nathan Scott that he wasn't the best Scott, on or off the court. She was certain that her best friend would definitely win tonight's and she was looking forward to it. She let out a breath willing herself to concentrate on the task at hand and not on the boy across the gym who although she didn't need to turn around to know, was still looking at her.

* * *

Hours later, Peyton pushed open the door of Karen's café and looked around, glad that the place was void of customers for once. She struggled over to one of the tables and let her backpack slide into the floor as she plopped down on a chair and lay her head on the table completely exhausted.

"Rough practice?"

She looked up at Lucas who was smirking at her.

She groaned, "Remind me again why I did this?"

He laughed as he sat down next to her and placed a cup of coffee in front of her, "That bad huh?"

She shook her head and winced, "_Worse_. I swear that Brooke Davis has it in for me or something."

He smiled, "I'm sure that's not the case."

She raised an eyebrow, "Trust me. She has it in for me. For both of us actually. You should've heard some of the nasty things she said to me the day I tried out." she took a gulp of the warm drink and shook her head at him playfully, "I swear…the things I put up with for you Lucas."

"Me? I seem to recall the deal was I joined the basketball team, you join the cheer squad. Now correct me if I'm wrong but I'm not exactly on the team so this is all you Sawyer, what's up?"

She shrugged, "Maybe I knew you'd change your mind and I wanted to be one step ahead." She gave him a pointed look, "I, unlike _some_ people, actually like to follow through."

He gave her a look and she laughed, "Okay, okay. I _wanted _to do it. But if you ever share that information with anyone I'll kill you."

"Not that I'm complaining but why?"

She shrugged and looked away, "My mom was a cheerleader." She said softly.

He placed his hand over hers, "Peyton…"

She looked back at him and smiled, letting him know it was okay, "So…anyways…what's this I hear about you going up to Nathan Scott at lunchtime? Everyone was talking about it."

He chuckled, "I don't think he was expecting that."

"Tonight's going to be your night Lucas. I'm sure of it." she said confidently, "The question is…are you ready for that type of change?"

"What? Being on the team?" she nodded, "Yeah. I am…the thing is…I don't think _he_ is though."

She looked at him confused, "But I thought if you win…he's out."

Lucas shook his head, "And give him the satisfaction? No. If I win. He stays. We both do."

"Why?"

He shrugged, "Because…honestly it's the last thing he wants." He said simply.

Her mouth formed an 'o' and she nodded, "I guess now you understand what I meant about the two of you having to eventually deal with your uh..situation."

"That's not why I want him to stay on the team." He denied.

She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Yeah it is." She says softly.

He looked away and sighed, "Anyways…you ready to put your moves on display tonight?" he smirked, "My own personal cheerleader. You did say that right?"

She laughed, "Actually those were _your_ words not mine." She shook her head, "But hey…if not for you then for who right? It's not like I'll be cheering _him_ on."

He laughed with her, "Yeah…never going to happen. I mean how weird would_ that_ be?"

* * *

Nathan looked into the mirror and wiped down the smudges. He smirked at his reflection, "You are so ready for this." He murmured to himself, picking up his towel and throwing it around his neck.

As he opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out, he ran straight into his Dad.

"Oh. Hey Dad, what's up?"

Dan looked over at his son and smirked as he noticed something new. He pointed to his nipple ring, "You know if I wanted a daughter I'd just adopt one."

"What so you could abandon her too?" he quipped.

Dan gave him a look and Nathan shrugged, "Sorry. It's just a joke."

Dan crossed his arms, "And this bet I heard about? Is that a joke too? Or are you really that stupid to risk your spot on the team? Because the way I see it is you have everything to lose here and absolutely nothing to gain son."

"Well sometimes what you call everything I call nothing." He retorted.

"Well that's where you're wrong, because this should be everything. You don't have to do this Nathan. I will not allow it."

Nathan shook his head, "You just don't understand do you? Look Dad I do a lot of stuff for you. Almost everything actually. But this? I'm doing this for me." he turned and headed to his room, giving him the final word.

Dan shook his head and was about to leave when a movement caught his eye. His son's girlfriend had just stepped out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel.

"Hey ." she grinned, walking in the direction his son had taken. Dan let out an appreciative laugh as he turned in the direction of his own room.

* * *

"So, if you're not doing this for your dad, then why are you doing it?"

Nathan shook his head as he opened up the front door and stepped outside, "You wouldn't understand."

"Really? I mean are you really that threatened by him?"

"I'm not threatened." He scoffed, glaring at her.

She raised an eyebrow, "Well then why are you doing it? To prove that you're the best?" she stopped him and leaned up to him coyly, "Baby you don't need to prove that to anyone." She placed a soft kiss on his lips seductively."You just proved that to me upstairs…" she trailed off tugging at his shirt.

Nathan pulled away from her, "God is everything about sex with you?!"

She pulled back stung, but it took her but a second to recover. "Whatever." she pushed him roughly, her tone cold. "I hope you find what you're looking for tonight."

He sighed, feeling bad. "Brooke…" he called out for her, but she ignored him, heading straight for his car, and pulling out her cell.

* * *

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to a historic night of basketball. I'm Mouth McFadden, along with my game partner, Jimmy Edwards, and, Jimmy, we're in for a treat tonight." He spoke into the tiny microphone and turned to look at his counterpart.

"We sure are Mouth." He boomed,

"It's just moments before the stroke of 12:00, and still no Nathan Scott. Could that be a sign?"

Jimmy shook his head as he looked around the excited crowd at the normally deserted court, "I'll tell what Mouth. The natives are getting restless."

Mouth turned as a brand new black convertible came into view across the court, "And he has arrived ladies and gentlemen."

Nathan stepped out of the car, courtesy of Scott Motors of course. He smirked and slammed the door shut, walking towards his crowd, high-fiving his team mates.

Haley stepped out of the back seat and leaned over to whisper to Brooke as she took in the huge crowd, "This is stupid. Why are we even here?"

"Because. We're cheerleaders." She looked over at her boyfriend and sighed "Because I'm _**his**_ cheerleader." She says unhappily. She squeezed her hand, "Thanks for coming, Haley."

"Sure." She said softly. "You okay?"

She took a deep breath and looked back towards Nathan who was looking at her expectantly. "I don't even know why I try sometimes." She says quietly, more to herself than to anyone.

Haley frowned as she watched her walk over to her boyfriend, slipping her arm in his. She's smiling but even from far away, she can see the smile doesn't reach her eyes. _I'll talk to her later, _she promised herself.

Walking furhter into the crowd, she looked around and spotted a familiar face in the middle of it all, looking at her. Hesitating slightly, she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and flashed Lucas a small smile. _'Good Luck'_ she mouthed, not really sure why. His face broke out into a huge grin and he nods, silently thanking her. Wrapping her arms around herself, she heads towards where Nathan and Brooke are standing with the rest of their crowd. Taking a deep breath, she glanced back at the blonde boy in the middle of the court practicing his shots. She doesn't understand where the sudden butterflies are coming from.

* * *

"Sure you still want to go through with this?"

Lucas looked over at Peyton and nodded determinedly. "Now more than ever."

"Good, just make sure you keep your eyes on the ball." She smiled nodding towards Haley knowingly.

He laughed quietly and tossed the ball into the air, watching as it sinked gracefully into the net.

"Now that's what I'm talking about, baby." Skills came up to him and clapped his hand on his shoulder, "You got this Luke."

"Thanks Skills."

He nodded, "You just make sure you kick some Daddy's boy ass tonight."

* * *

On the other side of the court Tim walks over to Nathan, "Nate! My boy…Hope you don't mind but I kinda told a few people."

Nathan smirked, "What better way to enjoy a public humiliation than with _public_, y'know what I mean?"

He saw as Lucas made his way to the center of the court and his eyes narrowed, "All right. Let's get this started." He turns back to Brooke, "But first. My good luck charm." He said huskily, leaning down and kissing her swiftly on the lips.

She smiles and takes his letterman jacket off him, "Good luck Baby." She blew him a kiss as she slipped his jacket on.

He smirked as he made his way to the center of the court, "Luck has nothing to do with it."

"All right Nathan! Let's go Baby!"

"Kick some ass Nate!"

"You've got this Luke!"

"It's all yours Lucas! C'mon!"

Mouth looked towards the center of the court as the two boys met, facing each other, "All right folks, this is it…15 by ones. Make it, take it, win by one." He looked around, "And boy you can feel the intensity in the air! So thick, even a chainsaw wouldn't be able to cut through it."

Nathan smirked as he looked at the blonde, "You ready for this punk? Feel free to back out at any time."

Lucas scoffed. "Not on your life."

Nathan shrugged, "Okay, don't say I didn't try to save you from a public humiliation. But wait, I'm sure you're used to it right?"

Lucas's eyes darkened, he swiped the ball from him and jumped up in the air sending the ball into perfect net, "You were saying?"

"Whoa! A 25-footer rips the silk like Jimmy Edwards in a size 3 dress. Let's go Luke!"

Nathan gritted his teeth, and he shoved the ball back into his chest, "Let's go, man. I'll give you that all night."

Lucas smiled as he gripped the ball in his hands, he faked to the left and side-stepped Nathan dribbling at full-pace, slamming the ball in the net once again, "Sure you can hang all night?"

Nathan shook his head as he tossed the ball back to him, " Is that all you got, punk? If that's all you got, then this is way before it really starts."

"Let's go Lucas!"

"Get him Nate!"

Lucas bounced the ball in front of him and side-stepped him once again, going up under the net in a dunk.

Everyone on his side erupted into cheers. Nathan looked back at his friends angrily. He exhaled and Lucas smirked as he tossed the ball over to him, "Why don't you show me what you got Daddy's boy?" he taunted.

The game goes on for a little bit longer, with a lot of back and forth between the two. As Nathan takes the ball and goes up to net, Lucas blocks him on all sides and he lets out a frustrated noise. He tries to side-step him but to no avail. A second later he purposely slams his elbow into his face.

Lucas stumbles back from the blow. He looks at him angrily and turns around and spits blood into the ground, his nose and mouth burning from the blow.

"That was a damn foul!" he hears Skills protest across the court. Lucas looks at Nathan angrily and swipes the ball from him, "He's right. No fouls. Basket counts. Besides..." he shook his head confidently. "You won't score again."

"And that was a foul from Nathan Scott!" Mouth booms into his microphone, "The basket counts, and he goes in and Score! It's 14-12 folks, now it's game point for Nathan. He could win it all right here. Nathan for the win! He goes up under and he shoots and Holy crap! An unbelievable block from Lucas Scott! Did you see that?! Someday men will write stories about that block. Children will be named after it. Argentinean women will weep for it. Luke gets a basket, and he's down one. This could be it!"

Nathan guards him, "You're down by one, punk. Don't choke now."

"Another dagger, and Score! One more for Lucas Scott. It's all tied up! Talk about adrenaline, talk about nerves, what a game! I think I'm gonna puke."

"Come on, Nate! Come on, shut him down, Nathan!"

"You've got it Lucas, it's all you right now!"

"This is it, folks. There's no going back now. The next basket wins it all."

"He's never mentioned you, man…not once in all these years." Nathan put his arms out in front of him guarding his shot.

Lucas took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eyes, "This is for my mom." He jumps into the air and with a flick of his wrist sends the ball straight into the net.

"And he did it! Oh my god he did it! Lucas for the win! It's good, it's so good! Lucas Scott takes it 15-14!"

Lucas grinned as he turned to look back at his friends. They all ran to join him in the middle of the court forming a circle of joy around him.

"Lucas! You did it! I knew it!" Peyton laughed as she went flying into his arms.

"That's right dawg! You got this man, you owned his ass!" Skills punched him in the arm proudly.

Nathan glared at them. What the hell? That punk beat him. Him?! He shook his head angrily and strode past his shocked friends.

"Nathan…" Brooke started, but he ignored her and stormed past her angrily towards his car. She sighed and ran to catch up to him, the rest of their friends following in stunned silence.

Lucas laughed as his friends jumped around him in excitement chorusing his name over and over again. It felt good. Hell, it felt more than good. It was awesome. He couldn't explain the rush and adrenaline and pride he felt at that moment. He looked over to the other side of the court where Nathan's crowd had been minutes ago and noticed them start to disperse. Only one held back though and she was looking over at him smiling uncertainly.

He pushed his way through the small crowd that had formed around him and walked tentaviley over to her as she met him halfway.

"Hey." She smiled shyly.

"Hey." He replied, a little breathless.

She took a step towards him and touched his nose in an innocent gesture, "That was a nasty blow. Does it hurt?"

He smiled, feeling a little dizzy at her touch, "Eh. I'll manage."

She nodded and crossed her arms in front of her, "You will. Um..you did. Really well actually. Playing I mean." She took a deep breath, "So it looks like Whitey's found his much needed replacement huh?"

He shrugged, "I guess he has."

"Haley!" she turned around and glances at Brooke who's outside Nathan's car looking at her questioningly.

He nods towards Brooke, "I guess you better get going huh? Your friend doesn't look to happy."

She smiled, "Yeah…Um…" she rubbed her arms nervously, "I just..uh I wanted to say..congratulations… you played a good game. A fair game…and…"she smiles, "Well, see you around Lucas Scott."

He smiled back at heart, his heart doing a little somersault, "See you Haley James." She lifted her hand up in a small wave and turned around walking back towards Brooke.

Lucas sighed as he watched her slide into the backseat of Nathan's car. He turned around and came face to face with his two best friends.

"Hmm....our boy looks a little lovesick doesn't he Peyton?" Skills crossed his arms in front of him, "It's not contagious is it?"

Peyton laughed, "God let's hope not! Otherwise me and you are basically screwed." She grinned at Lucas, "So Hotshot…how does it feel to be the new number 1?"

Lucas laughed and put an arm around both of them, "Like you wouldn't believe."

Peyton snuggled into him, "I'm glad. You deserve it. Now what do you say we get out of here and me and Skills here will treat you to the biggest ice cream sundae you have ever seen."

He smiled, "Sure. I know just the place."

* * *

Nathan strode into the house angrily. He looked up in his surprise at his Dad who was standing by the foyer.

Dan raised an eyebrow at him, "How'd it go son?"

He sighed, "Don't worry, dad. Your dreams are still safe. ..." he strode past him and thundered up the stairs into his room leaving Dan to wonder just what had happened.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THOSE WHO REVIEW….I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THERE IS A QUOTE HERE THAT HALEY SAYS TO LUCAS THAT I CAME ACROSS THE OTHER DAY AND I REALLY LIKED AND I COULDN'T HELP BUT WANT TO ADD, GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LUCAS IS IN. ANYWAYS HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE IT AND I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HOPE YOU GUYS REVIEW!**

Brooke sighed as she stared out the passenger side of Nathan's new black convertible. He had picked her up this morning as was their daily routine. But from the moment she had gotten in the car he had barely acknowledged her presence. He hadn't given her, her usual 'Good Morning' kiss, or a hello, not even so much as a nod. Instead, she had been forced to ride with him in absolute silence.

Once again he was too preoccupied with his own problems to even notice her.

She glanced back at him, his handsome features were marred into a slight frown as he stared silently ahead of him.

She cleared her throat, "Nathan…"

"Hmm?" he grunted, not even bothering to turn and look at her.

Brooke bit her lip and crossed her arms in front of her, "Forget it." She mumbled, noticing that they had already pulled up in front of the school. She unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out, grabbing her book bag and sliding it over her shoulder.

He sighed as he watched her walk ahead of him, not even bothering to wait for him. He grabbed his backpack and shut the door, throwing his keys inside his pocket.

"Brooke! Wait up."

She turned around and crossed her arms in front of her, "So now you want to talk?" she asked coldly.

He rubbed his hand across his forehead tiredly. Okay so he probably deserved that. "Brooke..I'm sorry okay? I don't mean to push you away like this, It's just-"

She shook her head, "Look I get it okay? I know last night was rough on you. And it's something that's going to change everything…but why does that have to include _us_?" She took a deep breath and looked away, "I mean, how long are we going to do this Nathan? All I want to do is be there for you and you won't let me."

He stepped closer to her and placed his hands on her waist, looking down into her eyes, "I know that okay? And I really am sorry Brooke..you just…just give me time." he pressed a kiss on her forehead, "No matter what happens. How much everything changes, the one thing that will never change is that you will always be my girl. It's always going to be you and me. You know that right, babe?"

She looked up at him, wanting desperately to believe him. She nodded and smiled, "Always." She whispered.

He let out a sigh of relief, "Good." He murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, "Because I never want to lose you." he pulled away, "I have to meet Whitey before class, so I'll see you later okay?"

She smiled, "Okay."

He grinned and leaned down to kiss her one more time, "Hey, you and me tonight okay? I'll make up it up to you."

She winked up at him, running her hands down his back seductively. "I know just the way Baby."

He laughed and shook his head at her as he leaned down and gave her one last kiss. She smiled as she watched him disappear. Maybe everything would be okay between them after all.

* * *

Lucas walked to his locker, ignoring the stares he was receiving from everyone around him. He should have been prepared for that. He knew people were going to talk after what happened yesterday. He knew that, but he was still unprepared for the way it made him feel. He reached his locker and spun the combination, shoving his books inside

"A little unnerving isn't it?"

He turned around and his heart landed somewhere near his shoes. Haley was standing directly behind him clutching her books to her chest.

"What, the stares, the whispers, the non-subtle way people mention your name when you walk by?" he shrugged, "Nah. I'm used to it."

She bit her lip, "Sorry. I didn't meant to-"

He cut her off gently, throwing her a smile as they started walking down the hall, "Don't worry about it. I mean it's nothing new right?" he looked down at her books, "So uh, where you headed?"

She made a face, "Biology." She waved her hand, "Don't get me wrong, it's a great class. It's just Mr. Edwards can be a bit….I don't know…_sexist_."

He laughed and nodded, "I know what you mean." He cleared his throat nervously, "Uh…you think…would it be okay if I walked you to class?"

She glanced back at him, finding the way he was slightly blushing adorable, "Sure. I'd really like that." she smiled and he grinned back, "So, if you don't mind me asking…" she began, "What made you decide to join the team?"

"You mean other than for the love of the game?"

She nodded and he let out a breath as he stared ahead of him, "I-uh…I mean there's times that I feel like…like I really want to show him sometimes y'know? What a mistake he's made."

She took in a deep breath, unprepared for that, "You mean Dan?"

He nodded, "Yeah, sometimes for my mom…and I guess sometimes for me." He glanced back at her. Normally he'd feel strange sharing these sorts of things with someone he barely knew. But there was something about this girl. From the moment he'd first laid eyes on her, something that made him feel like he could really _trust_ her, that she would understand him.

She turned around and faced him as they stopped directly in front of her classroom, "Listen, we may not know each other well enough to offer insight on these sort of things, and it might not mean anything coming from me but… you seem like a really good guy Lucas. And I think it shows amazing character that you've decided to go through with this. Look I'm not going to lie, you've got a tough season ahead of you. I know how Nathan and the guys can be…" she brushed her hair out of her eyes and smiled at him softly, "But something tells me that you're the type of person that can handle anything that is thrown his way…and given the circumstances…"she trailed off, she cleared her throat and looked back at him, "Staying true to yourself and what you believe in is what's important. Always remember who you are and what you can accomplish. As long as you don't lose sight of that…I think you'll be okay." She gave his shoulder a light squeeze and turned around, heading inside the classroom.

He smiled to himself as he thought over her words. She was wrong. Because coming from her? It meant everything.

_

* * *

_

She was beautiful. But hers was a quiet subtle beauty that most took for granted.

Lucas took a moment to look up from his notebook and stare directly in front of him. She was sitting next to the group of cheerleaders and basketball players as was usual per lunchtime. Her blonde hair gleamed softly in the sunlight and her dark brown eyes sparkled with laughter as she talked animatedly among her friends.

_To see her was to love her, love but her, and love her forever_

He smiled to himself as he scribbled down one of the most famous quotes from one of his favorite poets.

"Still caught up in hopeless fantasies?" Peyton asked in a biting tone, sliding in next to him and glancing down at the large words staring back at her from his notebook.

He looked at her in surprise, "What's with the attitude?"

She stared down at her food, "I'm sorry." She mumbled, "I-I've had a rough morning…and you didn't deserve that."

He frowned, "What's wrong? You seem a little negative today. Even for you."

She sighed, "He left again this morning Luke."

"Your Dad?"

"Yeah…"she said in a small voice, "You think I'd be used to it by now..the disappointment…" she trailed off as she took a small bite of her food.

"How long is he going to be gone?" he asked gently.

She shrugged, blinking back the unexpected tears, "I dunno. How long was he gone last time?"

He let out a breath and placed an arm around her shoulders, bringing her close to him, so that he could press a kiss to the side of her head. "I guess this means I'm going to end up in the floor again." he murmured against her curls.

She pulled back to look at him, "What are you talking about?"

"Well…every time your Dad leaves, you always end up crashing at my place. Not that I'm complaining or anything. But every time I always end up on the floor even though I started the night on my comfortable bed. Do you know how much you kick and toss in your sleep?" He joked, trying to lighten her mood just a bit.

She looked down and held back a grin, "Well you might want to think about getting a bigger bed."

"And _you_ may want to think about actually sleeping in your own bed, in your own room." He teased.

She nudged him in the ribs, "Whatever. You love having me over."

He grinned, not disagreeing with her because he couldn't. Truth be told, he _did_ love having her over. It made the house a little less quiet and him a little less lonely.

He plucked a french fry from her plate, "Why don't you ever talk to your Dad about this?"

She sighed, "It won't really change anything I guess. Because in the end he still has to leave, as much as I hate it, it_ is_ his job." She smiled at him, "Plus he knows I'm always in good hands." She squeezed his arm, "I know I don't say this often…but I'm really glad you're my best friend Luke."

He slung an arm around her shoulder and smiled down at her, "Me too, Peyton. Me too."

* * *

Brooke clapped her hands and shouted, "Let's go Ravens, Let's Go!" She kicked up one of her legs and came back around in a perfect spin. She turned to the other girls and jumped up in the air in a simple combination, "We're the Ravens, We've got the team, that you will not likely beat. So bring on the heat cause we're oh so ready to let off some steam. Clap your hands and stomp your feet, because a team like ours you will never quite meet." she chanted, while doing jumps in succession.

She stopped to catch her breath and turned to the girls in front of her, "Okay? So what did you guys think?" she asked excitedly.

"Okay so I'm gone for a day and you turn this into some sort of poetic bullshit? I mean seriously what is up with all the rhyming?"

Brooke whirled around and glared at Rachel, who was standing behind her with her arms crossed, a smug smile playing across her lips.

"Excuse me?" she snapped, "You're late. And where the hell where you yesterday?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Ever heard of the common cold? I was bed-ridden the whole day."

She tilted her head and smirked at her, "Oh, is that what we're calling it these days? Yeah, I'm _sure_ you spent the whole day in your _bed._" She said sarcastically.

"Okay uh guys?" Haley cut in, sharing an amused smile with Peyton, "Can we cut out the bitchiness and get back to the cheer?"

Rachel smirked, "Fine let's see Brooke's silly little cheer."

Brooke gritted her teeth, "You better watch it Sl-achel!" she snapped, "Besides I happen to think it's very good."

"Yeah. Because you came up with it." she scoffed.

"Well that is why _I'm _the captain." She said smugly, "Whatever I say goes, and right now I say, get in formation with the other girls, because I'm teaching you guys this new cheer."

Rachel rolled her eyes but took her place next to Bevin.

Brooke smirked and raised her hands above her head, "Okay so the first thing…." She trailed off noticing she had lost the attention from the girls, "What now?" she snapped. She turned in the direction of their glances and watched as the tall blonde made his way into the gym, trailing behind Coach Durham.

Much like yesterday when Peyton had made her presence announced, a hush had fallen over the gym as they all stared at the new member of the Ravens.

Brooke looked over furtively at her boyfriend to gauge his reaction. He was glaring over at the blonde boy and even from far away she could see his muscles tense. She bit her lip and glanced over at Haley, who was looking at the blonde boy with an expression she couldn't quite decipher.

She cleared her throat, "Okay guys." She said loudly, getting their attention back to her, "Let's get to it okay? Remember, the game is in less than a week." She took her place again in front of them and proceeded to launch herself into their new cheer. As she watched the rest of the girls spot each other, she stole a quick glance over at her boyfriend. He was standing off to the side, having a heated discussion with Whitey. She let out a sigh, and hoped everything was ok. For his sake. And for hers.

* * *

Lucas trudged into the empty locker room and slumped down on the bleacher in front of his locker, completely exhausted. He was the last one to leave as Whitey had wanted to go over a few things with him once practice was over. He leaned against the lockers and closed his eyes for a second, rubbing his arm in the spot where Nathan had deliberately jabbed him with his elbow. He winced as his muscles screamed out in protest. More than anything he wanted a hot shower, but he knew he would have to wait till he got home. Peyton wasn't one to patiently wait and he calculated she'd been waiting out in the parking lot for a good 20 minutes. He sluggishly got up and tried to open his locker to gather his stuff.

"What the hell?" he muttered, yanking at the door. It wouldn't budge. He tried once more, but nothing. He leaned down and peered at it closely, noting the thick white solid mixture in between the opening.

"Great." He fumed, "Just freaking great." Somebody had glued his locker shut. No, not just somebody, he realized. _Nathan_. Of course, who else would want to screw with him like this? It had to be. This had Nathan Scott written all over it.

He kicked at the locker in frustration and looked around furtively, for something,_ anything, _that would help him cut through the thick mixture. No such luck.

He let out an angry sound and despite his aching muscles jogged over to the other side of the lockers, towards the showers.

A moment later he came out with a razor, he sat on the bleachers again and carefully broke the plastic around it until all he had left was the razor blade.

He stood up and as carefully as he could began to methodically scrape against the white mixture with the small blade, being extra careful not to cut his fingers.

He set the blade on the bench and tried tugging at the door again. Still nothing. He picked up the blade again and scraped at it some more. With one final tug, the door yanked open and he grinned in triumph.

It quickly turned into a frown as he took a look inside his locker. The whole inside was smeared with shaving cream

He sighed and pulled out his pants and shirt, noticing the various holes on the side of each one. He looked down at his sweat drenched uniform and back at the holey shirt. Oh, well. He had no choice. He pulled his jersey over his head and stepped out of his shorts, quickly wiping down some of the shaving cream with his jersey as best he could before shoving it into the now sticky gym bag. He quickly changed and reached for his binder, letting out an angry sound as all the loose paper flitted out, spilling out into the floor.

"What else?" he muttered angrily as he reached down and picked up the papers quickly shoving them back into his binder. He slung his gym bag over his shoulder, wanting nothing more than to see Peyton and vent his horrible day to her. He stopped a couple of inches away from his locker and bent to pick up the sole sheet of paper on the floor that he had missed.

He looked down at it and his brow furrowed in confusion as he stared at the pretty handwriting that wasn't his.

_"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."  
-- __**MARTIN LUTHER KING JR--**_

_Hey, just thought I'd share one of my favorite quotes with you. Keep your head up Lucas._

_Haley_

A smile broke out in his face, the frustration and anger from moments before, completely forgotten. He wondered how he hadn't seen this. But then again she had probably sneaked this in his folder during their Literature class. He slipped out of the lockers and headed outside, softly whistling to himself as he hurried along.

Peyton's eyes widened as she took in the sight of him, "What the hell happened to you?" she demanded, "And why the hell are you smiling?"

* * *

Rachel stormed out of the gym after cheerleading practice. She'd had it with Brooke and her perfect little cheers and her perfect little life.

"One of these days I swear, I'll wipe that pretty little smirk off your face." She muttered, yanking her locker open and pulling out her books.

"Resorting to talking to yourself?"

She turned around and glared at Felix who was grinning at her in amusement, "What the hell do you want Felix?" she snapped

"Nothing with you obviously." He scoffed, "At least not with that attitude."

She rolled her eyes, "Whatever, like you even have a chance."

"_You'd_ be lucky if I ever gave _you _the chance." He grinned, "Besides I know where your interests really lie, or rather with _who_."

She crossed her arms in front of her, "Yeah? And? What's it to you?"

He placed a hand on the locker next to her and leaned in, "Why don't you give it up Babe? You know that's not likely to happen any time soon. At least not with _her_ in the picture."

Rachel glared up at him, "You obviously don't understand the power of persuasion."

"Yeah okay," he snorted, "Cuz it's worked out so far for you."

She pushed at his chest, "What about you then huh? You haven't had any luck yourself with Brooke have you?" she paused, her eyes lighting up in realization, "Wait. That's it. It's perfect."

"What? Me and you?" he leaned into her a little more, "Well..I guess if you _really_ want to.." he teased.

She pushed him away, "Not that you idiot!" she straightened up and looked directly into his eyes, "We can do some serious damage together. What do you say? You help me. I help you. We both get what we want."

"And what is that exactly?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Are you really that stupid or do you just pretend to be?"

"Do I really have to answer that?" he teased.

She threw her hands up in frustration, "What do you think I'm talking about idiot? We break up the 'Golden Couple.' You help me get Nathan, you get Brooke, easy as that."

Felix paused as his gaze wandered past her, "Maybe that's not what I'm looking for anymore."

Rachel turned around and spotted Haley and Brooke stepping out of the gym, laughing together. She looked back at him incredulously, "The _tutor_? Are you kidding me?"

He looked back at her and she laughed realizing he was serious, "_Right_. Like she'd ever even give_ you_ the time of day. Please, you would have better luck laying _me_."

He grinned, "Exactly. Maybe that's what I need. A _real_ challenge. Easy is getting old y'know?"

She glared at him, "Fine." She snapped, "I help you get Haley, you help me get Nathan."

"You really think I need your help?" he scoffed, "Do you forget who you're talking to?"

"And do you forget _who_ we're talking about?" she retorted, "Look why don't you face it? Little Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot pole."

He crossed his arms in front of her and grinned, "Wanna bet on that?"

"And what exactly are betting on? That you can lay the tutor?"

"And that you can break up the perfect little couple." He added.

She grinned slyly, "They don't know what's going to hit them once we're through with them." She said referring to Haley and Brooke, "I'm sick and tired of Brooke and Haley's holier-than-thou attitude." She looked at him, "Just remember we're in this together. Bet or no bet. It's bound to be a win-win situation."

Felix grinned and stuck out his hand, "You're on, partner." He said in a mock southern accent, "So when do we start?"

* * *

Brooke looked at the clock near the vanity mirror for the third time that night. It was past 10:30 and she was absolutely furious.

_I can't believe he would do this to me!_ she silently fumed, _And the worst part is I'm not even that surprised. Furious yes, but surprised, not so much._

She shook her head to clear away her thoughts and dug inside her purse, reaching for her cell phone. She hit number 1 on the speed dial and held it up to her ear, waiting patiently as it rang. And rang. And rang.

_Hey it's your boy Nate, do what you gotta do at the beep, and I'll get back to you._

_Beep!_

"Nathan Scott." She fumed into the speaker, "Where the hell are you? I _cannot_ believe you! After everything you promised today! You have exactly 15 minutes to pick me up or call me back and tell me what the hell is going on or so help me God, we are-"

_If you are satisfied with your message, please press one, to erase and re-record please press 2-_

"Ughhh!" she cried out. She snapped her phone shut and stared angrily at the clock.

"Okay." She said to herself, "I'll try one more time and if he doesn't pick up.." she grabbed her phone again and dialed his number again. And still. No answer.

She threw it across the room in anger and flung herself across the bed, no longer caring about wrinkling the brand new black silk skirt she had decided to wear tonight.

She wiped angrily at the tears that had seeped out of her eyes. Enough was enough. She didn't have to take this. Nathan Scott could not just do with her what he pleased. She was Brooke Davis damn it. No guy left her hanging. Even if he was her boyfriend, she couldn't keep on letting him do this to her. She _wouldn't._

"Damn it, why do I have to love him so damn much?" she whispered into the dark. She got up and turned on the light, looking at her pathetic expression in the mirror. She sighed as she picked up a tissue to dry her tears. Her gaze caught the framed picture of Marilyn Monroe, a gift from Haley, who knew of her admiration for the blonde bombshell.

She picked it up and stared it, the famous quote at the bottom, catching her eye.

_A wise girl kisses but doesn't love, listens but doesn't believe, and leaves before she is left. _

_Marilyn Monroe_

She bit her lip as she stared down at the inscription. Maybe..just maybe…that's exactly what she needed to do.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N HEY GUYS ONCE AGAIN I WANT TO SAY HOW MUCH I ENJOY READING THE REVIEWS! ANYWAYS I'M GOING ON VACATION BY THE END OF THE WEEK SO I'LL TRY TO UPDATE A FEW CHAPTERS BEFORE I LEAVE……PLEASE R&R!**

Lucas yawned as he made his way sleepily into the kitchen, "Morning." He mumbled, placing a kiss on his mother's cheek.

She looked up and smiled, "Morning sweetie. How'd you sleep last night?"

Lucas stretched his arms over his head as he plopped himself on the counter, "As well as can be expected, considering Peyton kicked me off my bed. _Literally._" he added taking a huge gulp of the orange juice his mom had placed in front of him.

She chuckled as she placed a stack of pancakes in front of him, "She up all night again?"

He reached for the syrup, "Not anymore than usual."

"Oh. Is there something troubling her?"

He took a bite of his food, "You mean other than her Dad leaving?"

She exhaled, "How's she taking that?"

Lucas shrugged, "You know Peyton, she's perfected the art of pretending to be fine when she's actually not."

Karen nodded thoughtfully, "I wish Larry didn't have to leave so often." She smiled, "Not that I don't love having her stay here."

"If it was up to you, she'd move in permanently." He grinned, knowing his mom's affection for the curly blonde ran deep, "But I know what you mean. It just seems that every time he comes, it's just to leave right back again."

"Who's leaving?" Peyton trudged into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes sleepily. She stumbled over to sit next to Lucas, gladly accepting the glass of orange juice from Karen.

"Uh…." Lucas looked over at his mom quickly, "_We_ are actually." He glanced down at his watch, "You've got exactly ten minutes to eat, if you ever want to get ready in time."

She glanced over at the clock on the wall, her eyes catching sight of the time. She shrugged carelessly as she dug into her breakfast, "I had no idea it was this late." She mumbled in between bites, "I slept like a baby last night."

Lucas glared at her playfully, "Well I'm glad one of us did."

She looked back at him innocently, "Oh, I'm sorry. Did you sleep on the wrong side of the bed last night?"

"Try the wrong side of the floor." he shot back.

Karen smiled as she looked between them, shaking her head at their playful banter, "Okay you two, finish your breakfast. I don't want to hear about any more tardies." She looked pointedly at Peyton.

Peyton looked up, "Oh, c'mon. It was only one time, and that wasn't entirely my fault."

"Well whose fault was it then missy?" Lucas raised an eyebrow at her in a playful manner.

Peyton glared at him, "Lucas."

"Hmm?"

"Eat your pancakes."

Lucas chuckled and he looked over at his mom, "Hey Mom guess what? I was talking to Whitey yesterday and he was thinking of maybe having me start this Friday."

Karen paused, "For the game?"

"Uh…yeah what else?"

She nodded slowly, "_This_ Friday? As in the day after tomorrow?"

"Yeah_." _he looked at her suspiciously, _"_You didn't forget did you?"

She swallowed her food, "Um…no…of course not…it's just with the Café being so slammed this past week..and-"

"Mom…" he sighed, "You _are_ going to be there right?" she didn't say anything, "_Right?_" he pressured.

She sighed and put her fork down, "Lucas, honey, please don't be upset. Look…I really _want _to-"

"That's a lie." He said angrily.

"Lucas! Do _not_ use that tone of voice with me." she rubbed her forehead with one hand, "I promise that I'll try okay? I can't exactly close down the café…you know money is tight around here and-"

Lucas pushed his stool away from the table, "I cannot believe this." he muttered. He took his empty plate and dropped it in the sink, "Fine. You know what, you don't want to be there and face Dan, that's just fine, but don't use the café as an excuse to not be there." He turned back to look at her, "I just thought being there for your son on such an important night, would overpower the need to hide from….well whatever it is that you're hiding from."

"Lucas!" she exclaimed, standing up, "Come back here young man, we are not done here!"

He came out a second later, his backpack in place, "I'm sorry mom, but I've said what I needed to say. I just truly hope that you think about this and change your mind. For my sake." He looked at Peyton pointedly, "I'll be waiting outside, don't take too long."

Peyton sighed and got up, taking her plate over to the dishwasher. She paused and looked back at Karen, who was looking at the front door, where Lucas had just stormed out of. She went over to her and hugged her tightly from behind, "He's right you know." She said softly. She placed a light kiss on the older woman's cheek, "I'll see you later Karen."

She nodded absently and stared down at her food thoughtfully.

Peyton emerged from the room with her backpack and glanced back at her. She gave her a reassuring smile and opened the front door, running down the steps to catch up with Lucas.

* * *

"I hope you know CPR, because baby, you take my breath away."

Haley swiveled around and raised an eyebrow, "_Really_, Felix?" she asked him incredulous.

He grinned and slid in next to her, leaning against the lockers, "So what do you plan on doing in retrospect? Are you gonna save me?"

She pulled out her math book and glared at him, "How bout' I just let you drown?"

He laughed, "As long as it's in your love, then yeah, baby let me drown."

She shook her head and turned away, biting back the smile that threatened to show up on her lips.

"Whoa…did the sun come out or did you just smile at me?" he teased.

She shut her locker and turned to face him, "Dude, enough with the lame one-liners."

He laughed, "Why? Afraid they might be working on you?"

"Oh yes, baby." She said sarcastically, "They've really done it for me, I want you _soo _bad. In fact, watch me not be able to stay away." she rolled her eyes and brushed past him.

"I knew it." He ran to catch up with her, placing an arm around her shoulders. "See, you really just pretend to not like me, but I know better." She squirmed under his arm and he grinned, "Your body language says it all."

She let out and exasperated sigh and pushed him away, "In your dreams."

He grinned, "You have no idea."

"No, I really don't. In fact I'd rather not."

He laughed, "You really are cute you know that?" he reached for her hand, "So listen Doll, what are you doing this weekend?"

She pulled her hand away from him quickly, "How about I just tell you what I'm _not_ doing? I'm not hanging out with you or playing your little game, that's for sure." She retorted. She smiled at him sardonically as they reached the tutor center, "Now why don't you run along and hunt some poor defenseless girl with self-esteem problems to work your _charm_ on?"

He stared after her as she left him standing there, "She turned me down." he muttered to himself in disbelief, "_Me?! _What the hell?_"_

He heard laughter behind him and he turned around to find Rachel watching him amused, "Is someone losing his touch already?" she taunted.

He glared at her, "It's not funny." He snapped.

"Awww, poor baby." She pinched his cheek, "I told you the Tutor wasn't going to give in that easily."

"Please." He snapped, "I'm just warming up. She'll be putty in my hands in a week tops."

She raised an eyebrow as they begin to walk down the hall, "I wouldn't be so confident if I was you Tagaro. I mean, we _are _talking about the prude."

"She hasn't had a dose of the Felix magic yet," he boasted, "Trust me, when I'm done with her, you won't be calling her a prude anymore."

She crinkled her nose, "Okay. Eww. So did not want to go there." She tucked her arm through his, "So listen, _partner_…what are you doing after school?"

He looked down at her and winked, "Don't you mean _who_?"

She rolled her eyes and smacked him on the arm, "You really are a pig y'know that?" she shook her head, "I need you to do something for me." he raised an eyebrow, "Not _that_." she hissed.

He sighed, "Fine, I'm all ears."

She smiled, "Okay so listen…today after practice I need you to hang around the gym."

He looked at her confused, "Why?"

"If things go my way…you'll understand why." They reached her classroom and she turned around before entering, "Oh! One more thing….make sure you bring your phone with you." she winked and waved at him.

He looked after her, "Yeah…okay." He didn't know just quite what she had up her sleeve, but one thing was for damn sure. It was bound to be something _good_.

* * *

"Why is it so damn bright in here?" Nathan muttered to himself as he walked inside the school. He blinked against the harsh light as it assaulted his eyes. _Not to self, _he thought, _Never, ever convince yourself and the guys you can pound that much vodka on a school night. _

He reached his locker and pulled out his English book. He paused and leaned against the cold metal as a wave of nausea hit him.

His eyes flew open as he heard a familiar laugh echo down the hall. He smiled as he saw the beautiful brunette make her way to her locker with a couple of the girls from the squad, trailing after her. He shut his locker and made his way over to her, stopping directly behind her to drop a kiss on her cheek, "Hey, beautiful." He whispered in her ear, "I missed you this morning."

She froze, and she took a deep breath, ignoring the way her heart raced whenever he was near. She grabbed a few books quickly and shut her locker as she looked back at the girls, "I'll see you guys at lunch." She said pointedly and then, without so much as an acknowledgement, brushed past the tall basketball player.

"Brooke!" he looked after her puzzled, wondering what the hell was going on. She ignored him and kept on walking.

He swore under his breath and pushed away from her locker, walking quickly to catch up with her. He caught her arm and turned her towards him, "Babe, what's going on?"

"Do _not_ call me that." she said angrily, "In fact, don't call me anything at all."

"Okay, what the hell is your problem?" he asked, beginning to get angry, "Or are always such a bitch in the morning?"

"Such a-" she shook her head at him furiously; "You know what? Go to hell Nathan."

He closed his eyes and forced himself to count to ten. He reached for her arm again and pulled her roughly into the nearest empty classroom.

"What are you doing?" she asked angrily as he stepped directly in front of the door to keep her from leaving, "Let me go, you jackass." She hissed, pushing at his chest.

"Not until you tell me what the hell your problem is."

"As a matter of fact, _you're_ my problem, Scott. You, and your lies and your stupid promises."

"What the hell did I do to you this early in the morning?" he asked her, at a total loss, wondering if she had completely lost it.

She let out a humorless laugh, "Are you seriously that dense? Or do you just not care?" she shook her head, "Why do I even ask? It's obvious it's the latter." She pushed past him and reached for the door.

"Brooke!" he exclaimed, beginning to feel the onset of a headache coming on. He reached out his arm to stop her, "Stop playing games and just tell me what the hell's got you so pissed off at me this morning."

She stopped and turned back to look at him through narrowed eyes, "Oh, _I'm_ the one playing games? Why don't you tell me where the hell you were yesterday night?" she looked at him pointedly.

"Last night I was-" he stopped. _Oh shit_. "Brooke, wait…Babe I'm so sorry. I completely forgot..me and the guys-"

"You were with the guys?" she asked incredulous, "You've got to be kidding me. Since when is hanging out with them more important than spending time with your girlfriend?"

"And since when are you so needy?" he shot back.

Her mouth dropped open slightly, "Okay, you know what? Screw this. I'm done."

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" He rubbed his temples, "But can we just do this later? I've got a hangover the size of Texas and-"

"How bout we just don't?" she snapped, she pushed him out of the way and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

"How about this one?"

Lucas looked over at the book Haley was holding up and stared at it thoughtfully. He shook his head and handed it back to her, "Nope sorry. But doing a piece on where there is still current debate on the sexual orientation of its content? Uh-uh. I don't need any more speculation going around about me."

"And here I thought, you were they type of guy who appreciated the beautiful art of poetry." She shook her head at him playfully, reaching for another book.

He looked up and smiled to himself as he gazed at her. He had to bite his tongue to keep from telling her just how much he appreciated beauty,_ her_ beauty, to be exact. He shook his head and forced his eyes back to the material in front of him.

She sat down at one of the nearby desks and flipped through the pages thoughtfully. He joined her a second later and she looked up and smiled. He smiled back and they both turned their attention to the subject at hand, reading in silence for a couple of minutes.

"Oh!" she said a couple of minutes later. She grinned and held up for him to see, "I think I've found mine."

He skimmed over it quickly and smiled, "Nice." He handed her the textbook back and she looked at his book, "What about you? Nothing yet?" he shook his head and she went to work on writing the sonnet down, leaving him to continue to read in silence.

"So…" she said conversationally after a moment, "You ready for Friday's game?"

He set his book down and turned to look at her, "_I _am….but…I don't think my mom is." He admitted.

"Oh." She said softly. She cleared her throat, "Yeah…that must be…I mean it must be tough to come back here and face…your past, if only for a night."

He paused, "But you'd think being there for her only son, would be more important than dealing with old demons."

"I'm sure once she realizes that, she'll come around Lucas." She smiled softly at him, "Don't be too hard on her."

He sighed and looked down, "Yeah, that's what Peyton said this morning."

Something unfamiliar flickered behind her eyes, "Oh. She..Uh.." she cleared her throat, "You guys are really close huh?" she asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.

"Yeah, I've known her forever." He smiled, "She practically lives at my house."

She nodded slowly, "And your mom? She doesn't mind?"

"Nah. My mom loves her. She's like the daughter she always wanted." He looked at her curiously, "Why do you ask?"

She fiddled with her pen nervously, "I just thought that…" she shrugged, "I don't know…that she would be uncomfortable having the both of you…" she waved her hand, "I guess…I mean it's a good thing that she thinks of your girlfriend as a daughter..." she trailed off.

He shot her a funny look, wondering where in the world she had gotten that idea, "My…_girlfriend_?" he choked out.

She let out a breath and shook her head, "I'm sorry." She mumbled, her cheeks turning an adorable shade of pink, "That's none of my business."

He let out a small laugh, "Haley…look I don't know where you got that ridiculous idea, but Peyton's not my girlfriend." He shook his head, "She's my best friend. That's _all_."

She looked up and her eyes met his, "You don't...you don't have to explain…."

He smiled, "No. But I _wanted_ to."

She let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding and she smiled at him. She didn't understand where the sudden need for him to clear that up had come from, but she was glad he did and she felt a strange sense of relief at that knowledge. Why, she wasn't exactly sure.

"Okay." He said after a moment, "Listen to this…"

_She walks in beauty, like the night_

_Of cloudless climes and starry skies;_

_And all that's best of dark and bright_

_Meet in her aspect and her eyes;_

_Thus mellowed to that tender light_

_Which heaven to gaudy day denies._

_One shade the more, one ray the less,_

_Had half impaired the nameless grace_

_Which waves in every raven tress,_

_Or softly lightens o'er her face;_

_Where thoughts serenely sweet express_

_How pure, how dear their dwelling place._

_And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,_

_So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,_

_The smiles that win, the tints that glow,_

_But tell of days in goodness spent,_

_A mind at peace with all below,_

_A heart whose love is innocent!_

He looked up into her eyes and smiled, "I think I found the one I was looking for." He said softly.

* * *

Peyton slumped down on the bleachers after all the girls left the gym. She winced as she reached down to rub her left knee.

"Uh-Oh." A voice called out to her, "That's never a good sign."

She smiled as she watched the handsome dark-haired player make his way over to her. "Hey, Jake right?"

He nodded and pointed to her knee, "You going to be okay? You know, that's the worst thing that can happen to an athlete, a sprained knee, or worse."

She rolled her eyes playfully, "I wouldn't exactly call Cheerleaders athletes. Cheerleading is hardly a sport."

"Don't let Brooke hear you say that." he teased. He sat beside her and dug in his duffel bag, "Ah." He said, pulling out some adhesive sports tape. He motioned to her knee, "Can I?"

She nodded and lifted her leg slightly so that it was laying across his lap. He carefully wrapped the tape around her knee, making sure not to wrap it too tight.

"Thanks." She said, once he was done.

"Sure, anytime." He said easily, "Just make sure not to overdo it." he smiled, "We don't need an injured cheerleader on the first game."

"Tell that to Brooke will you?" she joked, "She's killing us, with these two-hour practices. And now she's even talking about meeting _before _school." She shook her head, "Is she always this crazy? Or is it only for the first game of the year that she, I don't know, _overdoes_ it?"

He smiled, "That's Brooke for you. She means well, although she doesn't always come across that way. But this cheerleading thing means a lot to her." he shrugged, "Besides, she wouldn't ride you guys so much, if she didn't think that you guys could do it."

She raised an eyebrow, "Really? Huh. And here I just thought she was just a bitch."

He laughed, "Give her time. The thing about Brooke is…she has a hard time letting people in. But once she does, you realize just what a great girl she really is."

She smiled at him, "You really like her don't you?"

He blushed slightly, "W-what?"

She shrugged. It was a simple question and it wasn't meant to throw him off, " "Well it just seems like you think very highly of her."

He let out a breath, "Yeah, well I've known her grade school.." he shrugged, "We actually used to be really close until…."

"Until what?"

He shook his head, "Never mind." he looked at her knee, "So you think you can get out of here all right?"

She nodded and stood up slowly, "Yeah, all I want to do right now, is hole up in my room and shuffle through my classics."

He stood up with her, "What kind of classics?"

She smiled, "Where do you want me to start? I've got a huge collection."

"How huge?"

"Wall to wall huge." She grinned, her eyes twinkling like they always did, whenever she talked about anything music related.

"Really? Wow."

She nodded, "Listen, I don't know about you, but I'm famished, how bout getting something to eat?" she grinned, "My treat, for helping me with my knee, Dr. Jake." She teased.

He grinned back at her, "I'd like that."

She nodded as he helped her down the steps onto the floor, "Good, I know a place that has the _best_ club sandwich in town."

* * *

Haley walked over to her locker after practice, completely wiped. Practice had been killer today. Brooke hadn't let up and had insisted they go through the routines 4 times to ensure that they were absolutely perfect for that week's game.

"Uh.." she groaned, grabbing her books from her locker slowly. She couldn't wait to go home and soak her aching muscles in a hot shower.

"You must be that damn tired from running through my mind all day."

"Felix…please.." she groaned, "No _this_ again."

He held up his hands, "Okay, fine. No more lines, I promise." He looked at her thoughtfully, "Practice that bad?"

She rubbed her shoulder, "Yeah.." she said softly, "You know Brooke. She's a stickler for perfection."

His eyes sparkled, "Then she doesn't need to work _you_ so hard. You're already perfect." He teased.

Haley sighed, "Look, Felix, why don't you just give it up? I'm not interested okay?"

He leaned against her locker to grin at her, "You will be." He insisted

She rolled her eyes, "Just stop okay? If you're really that desperate to get laid…"

He cut her off, "Wait. Is that what you think this is?"

She looked back at him surprised, "Uh…yeah. That's all it ever is to you."

"Well maybe you should reconsider how you judge people." He pushed away from her locker and stalked off.

She looked after him, her mouth dropping open in awe, "Okay, what the hell was that all about?" she muttered.

* * *

"Are you still mad?"

Brooke paused as she gazed over at Nathan. He was standing just outside the girl's locker room, propped up against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest.

She rolled her eyes and tried to walk past him.

"Brooke.." he called out, "Can you just stop? Look, we need to talk."

She turned around and faced him, "I have absolutely nothing to say to you." she said coldly.

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, "What else do you want me to say? I've already apologized. I'm sorry I forgot….but it's just the guys and I had to take care of something last night and-"

"And you couldn't even have the consideration enough to let me know?" she fumed, "What was so important that it couldn't wait till today? What was so important that you had to leave me hanging like that huh?"

"You wouldn't understand." He said angrily.

She threw her hands up, "That's just it Nathan! I'm tired of having to understand. All I ever do with you is understand! This relationship goes both ways, it's not all about you! Have you ever thought about that huh? Ever think about the fact that maybe I've got my own shit to deal with?"

"Like what?" he scoffed, "Your silly little cheers? Daddy's credit cards? What clothes to buy this week?" he rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I'm sure you've got some _real_ problems to deal with there Baby."

"Y'know what? Screw you." she spat, picked up her duffle bag and storming off.

He winced and he ran up to intercept her, "Hey..I'm sorry okay? I didn't mean it like that."

She broke free from his grasp angrily, "Just save it will you? I'm sick and tired of this. _I'm sorry,_" she mocked, "How many times am I going to hear that from you huh? Or better yet, how many times am I going to let myself hear that? I told you earlier, I'm done. _We're_ done."

"Okay. Fine." he snapped, "Until when?"

She glared at him, "How does forever sound?"

He scoffed, "The same way it did last time. So, I'll see you tomorrow then?" he mocked.

"Not _this_ time." she shook her head at him furiously, "I mean it. I've had it. I can't do this anymore. Not until you get your priorities straight."

He rolled his eyes, "And by that, I'm guessing you mean _you_?"

"Okay you know what? Why don't I just make it easier on you? You can cross me off you damn list, because obviously I haven't been up there, with the guys and basketball in a long time, if _ever_."

"So that's it? You're just going to walk away?"

She paused and turned to look back at him, blinking back the unexpected tears. "You walked away from this relationship a long time ago."

His heart tightened in his chest as he watched her walk away, "Damn it." he swore, banging his head back on the wall.

"She always has to make it about her doesn't she?"

He turned to the side and watched as Rachel walked over to stand directly in front of him.

"You heard." He stated.

She nodded and placed a hand on his shoulder, "She doesn't understand you Nathan." She leaned in closer to him, her arm snaking around the back of his neck, "At least not the way that I could." She whispered and before he knew what was happening, she was crashing her lips to his.

She smiled against his lips as she felt him return her gesture with full force. She tilted her head to the side slightly and opened her eyes to find Felix grinning at her a couple of feet away. She gave him the thumbs-up and wrapped her other arm around Nathan tightly, deepening their already heated kiss.

He groaned against her mouth softly, wanting nothing more than to forget about Brooke and their stupid argument. He let the redhead deepen the kiss, all the while, unbeknownst to him and just like planned, with Felix around the corner recording the whole thing with his phone.

* * *

"Okay, so we shooting for teams? Loser buys winner dinner?" Skills dribbled the basketball along the sidewalk as he and Lucas walked from his house to the court.

Lucas laughed and plucked the ball from him, "So that would be the what? 7th dinner you owe me?"

"Ha-Ha…that was one time dawg."

Whatever Lucas was about to say, was quickly forgotten as they reached the court. They both looked around in complete shock. The place, which was like their sanctuary, was completely unrecognizable. It was completely trashed. Lucas looked around in aghast. There was a sticky mixture covering the pavement all around the court. He stooped on one knee and inspected it. _Motor_ _Oil._ He realized, disgusted. Aside from that, all around the concrete, spelled out in different colors, were several inscriptions, _You suck, punk, loser, why don't you just quit._

He stood up and shared a silent furious look with Skills. He clenched his fists in fury as his gaze caught the big black letters atop the dashboard where the net had been completely ripped off, '_Bastard'_.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N HEY GUYS SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE BUT I WAS ON VACATION..ANYWAYS I'M BACK NOW SO I'LL BE POSTING UPDATE SOONER…PLEASE REVIEW!! I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW MUCH THOSE ARE IMPORTANT TO ME…LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK…**

"So it's really over?"

Brooke looked over her shoulder at Haley, "That's what I told him." She turned her gaze back to the mirror in front of her, turning to the side to admire the way the black dress clinged to her body.

"What did he do this time?"

Brooke rolled her eyes and reached over for her favorite perfume, "The ass-hole had the nerve to stand me up after he promised that last night would be all about me and him." She sighed and her eyes locked with her best friend through the mirror, "I'm just tired of it all y'know? I mean during the summer everything's always good between us…perfect even…but once basketball season starts he turns into this complete jerk and completely forgets about me most of the time."

Haley shrugged as she shuffled through the magazine in her hands, "Well you know how it is…basketball season is a killer."

"So what if it is? That doesn't give him the right to treat me the way he does. Like his freaking doormat that he can discard and use however he pleases. No. I'm done with it. I'm done with all the fighting and hang-ups between us. I deserve better y'know?"

Haley sighed and she set the magazine down on the bed, "You're right. You don't deserve to be treated that way. But have you ever really talked to him about it? Instead of just yelling at him and breaking it off?"

"What's the point? It's not like he ever listens."

"The point is that you have to try if you ever want to fix the problems between you." she paused, "Look…my sister once told me that the couple that fights the most is the one most in love. When you fight, it shows that you care enough to notice the other one screwed up and if you talk to them about it…it means that you care enough to tell them so that they can fix it. When you stop fighting it means that you stopped caring."

"Well I'm done fighting and I sure as hell am done caring." She shuffled through her jewelry collection, "Look I've always said that having a good boyfriend should be like having a good bra. Y'know…all about _support. _And it has to go both ways. It's always been one sided when it comes to Nathan and me._"_ She picked up a pair of gold earrings and threaded them through her ears and swiveled around slowly striking a pose, "So what do you think?"

Haley looked over at her, she was wearing a low-cut black dress with a pair of low-heel sandals, her shiny brown locks falling softly around her shoulders, "Like you're ready to hunt down your next victim." She shook her head, "You don't waste any time do you?" she teased.

Brooke rolled her eyes, "Well I'm not going to sit around and mope around am I? I mean this_ is_ Brooke Davis you're talking to. Sitting around crying is _not _my style." She fumbled for her purse, "Ready to hit the town Tutor Girl?"

Haley groaned, "On a school night?"

Brooke raised an eyebrow, "That _was_ the plan if I remember correctly. C'mon you can't bail on me now Tutor girl. Are you really going to leave your best friend to deal with a break-up all on her own?"

"Yeah you look really broken hearted." She muttered.

Brooke giggled and fumbled through her closet and pulled out a short denim skirt and tossed it to her. "C'mon Haley it'll be fun. Think of all the cute guys we're bound to meet."

"You do realize I don't pick up random guys right?" she shook her head, "Besides you know I have to be at the tutor center before first period tomorrow morning."

Brooke waved her hand at her, "Details, details. Anyways I'm going downstairs for a drink, you better be ready by time I come back up." she opened her bedroom door and stepped outside, shutting the door behind her.

Haley stood up and reluctantly pulled on the short denim fabric. She sighed as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, wondering how in the world she let Brooke talk her into doing things like going to a club 20 minutes out of town on a school night, nonetheless.

A beeping sound alerting her she had a new message broke her out of her thoughts and she walked over to her purse pulling out her cell. It blinked telling her she had a new picture message and she hit the _ok _button to receive it.

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock. A picture of Nathan pinning Rachel against the lockers, embraced in a full on kiss stared back at her. It only took her a second to realize that whoever sent it to her meant to send it to Brooke, seeing as though the only difference between her number and her best friend's was the very last digit.

"Hey what are you looking at? Ooohh…it's got to be something dirty judging from the look on your face." Brooke teased.

Haley jumped slightly and snapped the phone shut, not having seen her best friend come in. "Oh…it's uh…um…" she cleared her throat and ran her hand through her hair nervously.

"Are you ok?" she laughed, "Damn…it must have been _really _dirty if it's got you all flustered like this." she walked over to her and extended her hand, "Let me see it."

Haley clutched her phone and shoved it in her purse, "Trust me you don't want to see it." she laughed nervously, "It was just one of Tim's stupid jokes. You know him and his stupid text chains…"

"Oookay....if you say so." She tilted her head and peered at her curiously, "You sure you're okay? You look a little pale all of a sudden Haley."

She gave her a tight smile, "Yeah…I'm fine…" she fumbled for her jacket and pulled it on, "You ready to go?"

"Sure let me just get my keys."

Haley took a deep breath and clutched her bag angrily. She didn't know what the hell was going on. But one thing was for damn sure. Nathan Scott had a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

Lucas walked into school the next morning clutching a black garbage tightly in his hand. He looked around and spotted the tall raven-haired basketball player by his locker.

He wasted no time in striding over to him and shoving the garbage bag into his chest, "Trashing my locker not enough for you Daddy's boy?" he spat, "You had to go and trash public property?"

Nathan smirked as he pushed his hand away, "I don't know what you're talking about." He said coolly.

Lucas let out a humorless laugh, "Of course you don't. Can't even be man enough to own up to your actions can you?" he shook his head and smirked, "Just like your father."

Nathan straightened up and he shoved the blonde boy slightly, "Right. But you wouldn't know anything about that would you?" he taunted.

Lucas's eyes glimmered angrily, "Bring it on Scott…throw anything you want my way. As much as you want it to, it won't make me or any of this go away." he digged in the black garbage bag and pulled out a black spray can and tossed it at him, "I don't know why you wasted your time with this on the river court. You're gonna need it to paint over your scoring title in the gym, 'cause guess what? I'm taking it from you."

Nathan scoffed, "Yeah keep dreaming punk. There's only room for one of us on this team. It's only going to get worse, man."

Lucas shook his head furiously, "Throw whatever stupid games you got planned at me. I don't care. Whatever you got, you better bring it Daddy's boy, 'cause I'm not going anywhere."

Nathan rolled his eyes as he watched the tall blonde walk away, "Yeah…we'll see about that _big_ _brother_." He muttered darkly. He slammed his locker shut and walked off in the direction to his first class.

He paused as he spotted Brooke leaning against her locker talking with Brad Fisher, one of the guys from varsity. His hand tightened on the strap of his backpack and he took a deep breath, before striding over to them.

He placed his hand on the locker next to Brooke's, making his presence known. "I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

Brad stepped away from Brooke and glanced at Nathan nervously, "No man, we were just talking."

Nathan shrugged, "Well looks like to me like you're conversation is pretty much over Fisher." He shot him a pointed look and pushed away from the locker.

Brooke rolled her eyes and took a deep breath cursing her heart for the way it always reacted whenever he was near. She looked at Brad through lowered eyelashes, purposely ignoring Nathan, "Walk me to class handsome?" she asked sweetly.

Nathan clapped his hand tightly on the blonde boy's shoulder, not giving him a chance to respond. "Yeah, don't even think about it Fisher." He warned dangerously.

Brad laughed nervously, "Wouldn't dream of it Scott." He shot the pretty brunette an embarrassed smile, "See ya later." He mumbled, "Later man."

Brooke glared over at Nathan once Brad was gone and shoved him. "What the hell was that?"

"What?" he smiled at her innocently. "All the guys know better than to mess with my girl."

"You're not my damn keeper." She hissed, absolutely pissed. "Ugh, I hate your macho territorial bull shit and do I even need to remind you that we're not together anymore?"

He rolled his eyes, "Oh,_ that_." he looped his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him. He leaned down and teased her ear with his lips, "Why don't you give it up baby? I mean how long are you planning to pretend that it's over?" he pulled back and looked into her eyes. "I thought you'd realize by now that it could never be completely over between you and me." he whispered huskily in her ear.

She shut her eyes and fought everything inside of her to push him away. Why did he have to get under her skin so easily? _No. _she told herself. _Do __**not**__ let him win. Do not give in so easily. You are Brooke Davis damn it, _she reminded herself. _Boys chase __**you,**__ boys are wrapped around__** your**__ little finger. Definitely not the other way around._

She took a deep breath and wriggled out of his grasp. She pulled her book bag over her shoulder and smiled at him sweetly, "Really? Cause I thought I made it pretty clear that I wanted nothing from you anymore. Why don't _you_ give it up Scott? You had your chance…and you're lucky I let it go this far between us…cause frankly? I was getting a little bored.." she threw him a triumphant smile, "See ya later…_ex-boyfriend_."

He sighed and rubbed his hand across his forehead as he watched her walk away. Okay, so this was going to be harder than he had thought. Hard. But definitely not impossible, he reminded himself, fully aware of the way she had reacted when she had been in his arms.

"You are a world class act you know that?" a voice hissed behind him, before a hand reached out and smacked him straight across the chest.

"What the hell?" he swiveled around and came face to face with a pissed off Haley, something that was very rare.

"I should castrate you right now." She said angrily, glaring at him forcefully. "Seriously, what the hell were you thinking?"

"Okay, first of all what the hell are you talking about?"

She digged around in her purse and smacked a paper into his chest, "You want to tell me what the hell this is about?" she hissed.

He shot her a weird look and looked down at the frame-sized poster she had shoved at him. His eyes widened in shock at the blown up picture of him and Rachel engaged in a full on make-out session against the lockers, "Where the hell did you get this from?"

She threw her hands up, "Does it really matter?"

"Hell yeah."

She narrowed her eyes at him, "You're lucky I came in early this morning for a tutor session, otherwise you'd be pretty much screwed, seeing as though that lovely little poster was taped right over a certain cheer captain's locker. Not to mention…"she digged in her book bag and pulled out her cell phone. She scrolled down and held up the phone for him to see, "Somebody was kind enough to send this to Brooke."

His mouth became dry, "Wait..she saw this?"

She rolled her eyes, "No moron…someone was stupid enough to confuse my number with hers."

He looked at her closely, "You're not going to show this to her are you?" he asked worriedly.

She crossed her arms in front of her, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't?"

"How about you tell me why you _haven't?_"

"For what? To hurt her more than what you already have? What is it about you Scott? Do you purposely like to hurt her?"

He looked around the empty hallway in relief, "No." he said firmly, "That's not it…Haley…you know how much I love her." he said quietly.

"Then why?! Why this then?!" she pointed at the blown up picture of him and Rachel, "Because you can't deny that is you and Rachel making out…if you claim to love her so much…why pull this shit on her huh?"

He let out a breath, "Look Haley…I don't know where the hell this came from or from _whom_…but I can tell you one thing for sure. It did not mean _anything._" he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.  
"Look Rachel…she came out of nowhere and she just…_kissed_ me…before I had a chance to react. You have to believe me."

She tilted her head and gazed at him through narrowed eyes, trying to figure out if he was telling the truth. She let out a sigh, "Fine. I'll believe you_ this_ time. And I won't tell Brooke…simply because I don't want to hurt her anymore than what you already have." She pointed a finger at him warningly, "But so help me God…Nathan…I know you guys aren't together anymore but-"

He cut her off and grinned confidently, "We will be again."

"_Whatever_. All I'm saying is pull something like this again and I promise you won't live to regret it."

He raised an eyebrow at her, "Wow…is that a threat?" he teased.

She rolled her eyes, "You've been warned Scott." She took the blown-up picture from him and rolled it back into her purse, "Well…off to destroy the evidence." She said dryly.

He squeezed her shoulder gently, "Hey thanks again Haley…for not…well you know."

She sighed, "Don't thank me. Cuz I'm not doing this for _you_."

He nodded, "Well either way…thanks again."

She watched him walk away and sighed. She would keep this to herself this one time, but she hoped he kept his promise. Because one thing was for sure. She would not let him hurt her best friend again.

* * *

"Hey Jake!"

Jake looked up from the text he had silently been reading for the past half-hour and smiled at the perky brunette.

"Hey Brooke, are you lost or something?" he teased waving his hand around the library.

She rolled her eyes at him playfully as she plopped down in front of him, "Haha…I'll have you know I know my way around a library thank you very much."

He nodded, "How could I forget that our school stocks Vanity Fair?"

She plucked a piece of paper and wadded it up, throwing it at him laughing, "Did you eat little clowns for breakfast this morning Jagielski? Or are you always this funny?" she joked.

He laughed, "Little clowns?" he shook his head, "You're so weird Davis."

"I prefer one of a kind, thank you."

He smiled, "That too."

She tilted head and smiled at him, "Y'know I never realized…but, I've missed you."

His heart did an unexpected flip-flop in his chest and he smiled, "You see me everyday."

She shook her head, "No I just meant.. well we used to be so close. What happened?"

_You and Nathan..._

Shaking his head, he cleared his head. "Things change, people drift away Davis." he said lightly.

"Well, yeah but I guess what I'm trying to say is we grew up together Jake. You me, Haley and Nate and well it just seems that after the whole Nikki deal.." she suddenly paused, noticing the involuntary flinch that crossed his face. "Open mouth, insert foot. Sorry."

He offered her a smile and she smiled back, "Hey, it's okay." He cleared his throat, "So you never did tell me, what brings you into this lovely establishment we like to call the school library?"

The smile faded from her face and she sighed as she looked around. She leaned in close as if to make a confession, "I've got English this period."

He quirked an eyebrow at her questioningly, "Uh…okay.."

"No. You don't get it. I've got English. With _Nathan._" She stressed.

He nodded slowly understanding. He'd heard of the break-up from the guys on the team. It took but all of 2 seconds for it to spread through the grapevine. "Ah..the old ex-boyfriend dodge."

She groaned, "I thought I'd be okay y'know? But then it's like I saw him this morning and…"she shook her head, "I'm pathetic aren't I?"

He smiled ruefully, "No..you're just in love."

"Yeah, but sometimes I wonder..." she sighed. "Sometimes I think that it's time to let go y'know? I mean we've been together for so _long. _Sure, on and off but still. I guess it's kinda hard to imagine that I could be just Brooke and not one half Brooke-and-Nathan." She shrugged, "I mean, I've often wondered if the only thing that holds us together is the history and all that's left is the _image_ and status. You know, the star basketball player and the captain of the cheerleading squad."

"Is that how you really feel?"

"I don't know. I mean sometimes…But then when I'm not with him, when we're fighting or when I don't see him...I can't handle it." She paused and looked back at him, "I probably _am _crazy aren't I?"

"No. Not crazy. Just confused."

She stared ahead of her thoughtfully, "I love him, I really do but sometimes I wonder why it has to be so hard y'know? Love is supposed to be easy and.." she trailed off and looked away embarrassed. She took a breath and pushed back the chair, looking at her watch, "Anyways, I probably should get going. I don't need Ms. Lee catching me ditching her class. I cannot afford to miss tomorrow's big game."She glanced back at him, "Speaking of which…you're going to Nathan's house afterwards right?"

He shrugged. Nathan always threw the now traditional party at his house after the first game and as part of the basketball and cheer team it was an unspoken rule that they all to be there. He just didn't know if he felt up to it, "Sure…maybe I'll see you there." He said non-committably.

Her eyes lit up, "Hey, maybe we can go together?" she suggested.

"And have Nathan kick my ass?" he joked.

She rolled her eyes, "Please. He wouldn't dare." She denied, knowing full well that he would.

He raised an eyebrow, "Are we talking about the same Nathan Scott?" he laughed and studied her closely, "Umm…well, I mean sure…I can wait for you after the game and we could head over there together…."

She grinned, "Great! See you then!"

He paused as he watched her go and turned slightly in his chair, "Hey Brooke?"

She turned around, "Yeah?"

"No guy is worth your tears….and the one who is? Would never want to see you cry." He said softly.

She smiled, "Thanks…" she paused, "Hey Jake? It was really nice talking to you again…you know…like old times…I forgot what a good friend you were."

His smile wavered slightly. _Right. Friend._ "Yeah…it was nice talking to you too. I'll see you around Brooke."

She waved and bounced off in her usual bubbly manner and he turned around back to his books and sighed.

Who was he kidding? The teenage father and the Queen Bee of their school? Yeah…maybe in another fantasy.

* * *

Lucas made his way over to his seat angrily and slumped down in it, muttering to himself darkly.

Haley looked up from her notebook and she turned around in her seat to peer at him curiously. "Whoa, what happened to you? Or should I say _who_?"

"Isn't it obvious by now?"

She nodded slowly, understanding, "What did he do now?"

"You mean other than being born?" he retorted.

Her eyebrows shot up. Okay, so she did not expect that from _him_. That was more of a Nathan thing to say…but then again…they did share the same DNA…

"That bad?"

He shook his head as he pulled out his notebook roughly, "He completely trashed my locker the other day and now he decided to redecorate the River Court, y'know the place where me and my friends always play. _Our_ spot."

She furrowed her eyebrows, "And you're_ sure_ it was him?"

His eyes shot up to meet hers, "Well who else would want to screw with me that way?" he shook his head firmly, "No. I'm positive it was him. But of course, the asshole couldn't even man up enough to admit it."

She bit her lip, "Look, that's messed up…it really is, and please don't think I'm justifying his actions here in any way but…have you ever thought that maybe…having you around isn't any easier on him than it is on you? I mean, have you guys ever even talked?"

"Yeah, sure." He scoffed, "We text each other all the time too. Look Haley, I know you've known Nathan for a long time and I also know that he's dating your best friend, but there's no justifying his actions. The guy's an ass, plain and simple."

She paused and fiddled with her pen, wondering if she should say anymore. She decided against it and quickly changed the subject, "Are you excited about tomorrow's game?"

He furrowed his brow and he let out a deep sigh, "Right. The game." He ran his hands through his short locks, "Would it be totally girly for me to admit that I'm terrified to death?"

She smiled, "No. But I'm sure it's not going to be that bad. You forget that I have been watching you practice the entire week. You'll be okay." She shrugged, "You'll be better than ok, actually."

He smiled back, "I sure hope so. I can't afford to blow it. Especially not now. When everyone's expecting me to."

"Well not _everybody_." She pushed a lock of hair behind her ear and flashed him a quick grin, "Y'know what helps calm my nerves the day before a big test or tournament? A relaxing trip down to the downtown Cinema with a stopover at the ice-cream shop. So how bout it?"

He grinned, "Why, are you, Haley James asking me out on a date?" he teased.

She blushed, "Well not a _date _exactly…but…well y'know…two people hanging out. Together."

He laughed, "So yeah. A date."

She rolled her eyes at him playfully, "_A__nyway_…are you up for it?"

He smiled, "Yeah, definitely."

She grinned back, "Great. They have this new movie that I'd been dying to see…you know the one with Nicholas Cage?....I hear it's…"

He tuned her out as she chattered on excitedly. Although she had insisted it was not a date, his heart and mind were not listening to him. His pulse was racing and his heart was pounding in his ears at the prospect of spending some alone time with her. Just the two of them.

Damn. Now, he really did have something to be nervous about tonight. And it had absolutely nothing to do with the game tomorrow night.

* * *

Brooke hummed alongside the radio as she danced around her bedroom in her underwear. She felt rejuvenated and full of energy as she always did after a good work-out. She picked up her hairbrush and danced over to her system, turning up the volume and waving the brush in front of her as she sang along.

"Wow…is it hot when girls do that? Or is it just you?" a teasing voice called out to her.

She swiveled around and the brush fell from her hands. Her heart thumped involuntarily in her chest and she glared at Nathan, "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, "I wanted to see you." He said simply, his gaze wandering over her skimpy attire. He looked back up and his eyes held hers. "I miss you."

She ignored the shiver that made its way down her spine and scrambled around for her bathrobe. She had to get him out of her house as soon as possible or she was bound to fall for whatever line he was sure to spring on her.

He stopped her movement, "Don't." he grinned slyly, "I'm definitely enjoying the view."

She tilted her head and smirked, "Well it's too bad it's a sight you won't get to enjoy any more now is it?"

His eyes made their way down her thin frame once again, "Yeah. Definitely my loss." He said huskily.

She yanked the bathrobe on and tightened it around her body, crossing her arms over her chest protectively, "What the hell do you want?" she snapped.

He stepped closer and ran a hand down her arm, "You know what I want." He said softly.

She took a deep breath and pushed away from him and went to open her bedroom door, "Well you won't be getting it from me anymore, so why don't you run along? I hear the strip downtown definitely gives you your money's worth." She spat.

He shook his head and walked over to her, trapping her against the door, "That's not what I meant."

She looked up into his baby blues and..._Damn it.._she couldn't help it. She licked her lips self-consciously, "Well what _do_ you want?" she whispered.

He brushed her hair away from her face softly, "It's simple. I want you. All of you."

She shut her eyes. There it was. One of his sweet nothings that always got to her, no matter how much she tried not to let it. She pushed him away, "Stop." She pleaded.

He wrapped an arm securely against her waist, "You really don't want me to." He whispered confidently.

No. She really didn't.

"Nathan…" she sighed and looked up at him, "What's going to make it different this time?"

He leaned down slightly and brushed a soft kiss across her cheek, "This time it's going to be me."

"I want to believe you. I do. But you _always_ say you will and you never do and we always end up back where we started from. I mean don't you get tired of it? Because_ I_ do."

He shook his head, "Don't say that. Look I promise this time it's really going to be different." He looked behind her and sighed, "You just…you have to understand…this punk is on the team now and my Dad's been riding me about it." he paused as he brushed his knuckles tenderly across her jaw, "I know none of this is your fault and I shouldn't take it out on you. And I promise you that I'll work on it. But you just gotta give me a chance Babe."

She bit her lip, "How many more chance am I going to give you Superstar? I mean this is getting real old, real fast. Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't just put an end to it? Cuz every instinct inside my body is telling me to."

"Because…" he looked down at her, "Because I love you." he said quietly, "And because I know you love me too."

Her heart jumped in her throat and she had a hard time catching her breath. He'd never come outright and said that to her, at least not phrased it with those particular words.

"Nathan…" she began, he silenced her as he pressed his lips to her softly, wrapping his other hand around her waist.

She sighed against his mouth and brought one to cup his cheek while she wrapped the other one tightly against his neck.

He groaned against her lips and his hand snaked inside her bathrobe, swiftly untying it and slipping it off her shoulders.

She pulled away from him breathless and lifted up his shirt placing soft kisses down his chest. She looked back at him and pulled him to her roughly, crashing her lips onto his. God, she had missed this and it had barely been a full day since she had broken things off with him, since she had last been with him. How did she let him get to her so easily? How did he have this damn power over her?

She moaned softly as he unhooked the clasp of her bra and slipped it off her shoulders, his hands and lips assaulting every piece of bare skin he could find. He turned her around and walked her backwards to her bed.

Her legs hit the side of the bed and she fell back on it, bringing him down on top of her

Who was she kidding? She loved him and that's all there was to it.

* * *

"God, you are acting like _such _a girl right now." Peyton rolled her eyes as she saw Lucas change his shirt for the fifteenth time. Well, not really, but seriously. How hard could it be for a guy to pick a shirt?

Lucas glared at her, "And you're here again _why_?"

"If it takes you this long to get ready for a non-date with the girl, I'd hate to be think about how long it'd take you to finish up when you go out with her on a _real_ date. That is, if you ever gather the nerve to _ask _her."

He reached for a simple baby-blue T-shirt and studied it thoughtfully, before pulling it over his head and smoothing it out.

"And we have a winner!" she mocked in a playful manner. "_Finally_. So what's next Sir Lucas Scott?" her eyes twinkled with amusement, "Hey..I've got the most perfect shade of shadow that would just complement your shirt and bring out your eyes perfectly."

Lucas groaned, "Peyton, _please_. Shut up. You're not making this any easier."

She rolled her eyes, "Lucas, c'mon. It's a simple outing to the movie theater. Not to the Prom or anything. You really think she cares what shirt you wear?"

"You don't get it." He mumbled digging around for a sweater.

"Probably not." she agreed. She looked at the clock on the nightstand, "Weren't you guys supposed to meet at 8:45?"

He looked up, "Oh shit." He muttered noticing it was almost 8:30.

Peyton digged around in her purse and tossed her keys over to him, "Here take the Comet."

He shook his head, "Thanks, but I think I'd rather walk…y'know help clear my thoughts."

She shrugged, "Suit yourself." She got up and stretched, "Well I'm outta here Lover Boy. Got the most amazing night planned with my math book." She walked over to him and hugged him playfully pinching his cheek, "Awww.." she squealed, "My boy's first date! I'm _soo_ proud of you honey."

He swatted her away laughing, "Get out of here Sawyer."

She laughed, "Call me later with the details Dude." She teased.

He shook his head smiling and looked in his reflection in the mirror one last time. He groaned realizing Peyton was right. He _was_ acting like a girl.

* * *

Haley looked at her refection in the mirror for the fifteenth time that evening. Well, not really. But she felt like she'd checked her image a million times.

She ran her brush through her hair in an effort to smooth out some of the frizzies.

She groaned. God, she was acting like such a girl right now and she hated it. Since when did she let a boy get to her like that? I mean it was just a movie. Her and Lucas were just friends right?

Right. So then why did her heart feel like it was going to beat out of her chest as the clock ticked closer and closer to the time they were supposed to meet? Why did her mouth feel dry at the thought of spending an entire evening away from school, away from every one, just the two of them? Alone together, if at least for a couple of hours.

She sighed and looked into the mirror, "Get it together." She told her reflection firmly. She fished around for her keys and hoisted her purse over her shoulder turning off the light switch as she walked by.

She stepped out of her room and shut the door quietly behind her. The house, she noticed, was unusually quiet. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing, she told herself, thinking of the few nights a week when her father would actually come home.

She paused as she caught the light pouring out of the kitchen.

"Oh…hey honey." Her mom looked up from her spot behind the counter, her eyes uncharacteristically bright, "You going somewhere?"

She swallowed back the disappointment as she saw her mom stumble slightly._ Great. _She thought. _Here we go again._

She took a deep breath and eyed the brand new bottle of bourbon on the counter. "Mom…" she said softly. "Please…please don't overdo it tonight." She couldn't and _wouldn't_ be able to handle another sleepless night watching over her mother.

"Right." She scoffed, throwing her head back and gulping down the rest of the liquid , "Why don't you also tell your father come home once in a while? To stop screwing the secretary?" she reached for the bottle again and poured her next fill into her cup.

Haley took in a sharp breath, "Mom…you know Dad has a lot of work at the office that prevents him from making the long drive back home."

Her mother let out a bitter laugh and she took a long sip of her drink, "So young. So naïve." She pointed her drink at her, "Just don't say I didn't tell you so, when you find out what your Daddy dearest is really doing those long nights that he doesn't come home."

* * *

Lucas glanced down at his watch. It was exactly 8:42 and he quickened his step, realizing he was running late. He cursed himself, wondering why he hadn't just taken Peyton on her offer to take the Comet.

He hoped Haley would understand. The last thing he wanted now was to upset or anger her in any way. Not now. Not when they were just starting to get to know each other.

As he hurried along deep in his thoughts, he failed to notice the van that screeched to a halt behind him. A couple of guys jumped out and before he knew what was happening, they quickly surrounded him and grabbed him, dragging him and pushing him straight inside the van.

It all happened in a split second and before he had a chance to react a brown paper bag was thrown over his head and his hands were wrenched towards his back and he felt the rough piece of rope as it burned into his skin.

"What the hell?!" he muffled, "What do you want from me?"

Nathan looked back through the rearview mirror and he let out a snicker. He stepped on the gas pedal and swerved around expertly, driving for a couple of minutes before making an abrupt stop.

All the guys poured out of the ban and Tim and Tyler pulled Lucas down with him, swiftly pulling the bag off his head.

Lucas blinked and looked around him at his assailants. His eyes hardened in anger as he recognized them as the guys from the team. "Let me go." he struggled against Tim and Tyler who were holding him back, "You guys are such cowards." He spat, "_Sure_. Attack me from behind."

Nathan laughed and crossed his arms in front of him. He nodded towards Tim and in one swift move, he was pushed into the stream.

Lucas emerged, struggling to stand up, Nathan walked up to him and freed his hands, "Well, well. The gang's all here. I told you it was gonna get worse. Now, see, normally this is when you become part of the team. We'd have a keg, tell some war stories… but you had to know that wasn't going to happen, right? Look… these guys made a choice to back me up. But we're going to be nice, and we're going to let you walk away. Just quit the team, man. Otherwise, it's going to get ugly." He looked at the other guys, "Now what do you guys say we get out of here?" he suggested.

Tim game him a last shove, "Bye, _Pucas." _He mocked.

The rest of the guys laughed as the tall blonde stumbled and came in contact once again with the murky water. They walked behind Nathan jumping into the van and hightailing it out of there.

"Fuck!" Lucas stood up and kicked against the dirt in anger. How the hell was he supposed to get out of there? Most importantly, how in the hell was he supposed to get to Haley?

* * *

Haley looked at her watch for the second time that night and sighed. It was almost 9:15. She realized she'd been standing in front of the Cinema for at least a good half an hour. Waiting. With no sign of Lucas anywhere.

She looked around once more and swallowed back her disappointment as she realized Lucas wasn't going to show up. God, she was so stupid and such a girl, for getting so excited about a movie with a guy she barely knew. She momentarily wondered if he was all right, but in the next instance it was gone. Of course he was all right. What could've possibly happened to him in the short walk he claimed it took to get from his house to the theater? No. He was most likely all right. He just didn't care.

So then why should she? Why should it bother her so much that this almost stranger, someone she had barely so much as given a second look at a week ago, had stood her up? It shouldn't and it _didn't._

She stuffed her hands in her pockets and let out a breath. As long as she kept telling herself that the whole way home, then maybe she wouldn't feel this strange sense of almost hurt, beating at her chest. She checked the time once more and slowly walked in the direction of her house, wanting nothing more than to cuddle up in bed and forget about the entire awful thing. First her mother and now this?

So much for a fun relaxing night.


	10. Chapter 10

"So you never did call me back last night." Peyton said as she walked into Lucas's room without knocking, early the next morning. She flopped down on his bed, "That good huh?" she teased.

"Yeah, so good, I never got to find out." he muttered, searching under his bed for his high-tops.

She raised an eyebrow, "Meaning?"

"Meaning the whole thing never happened."

"You stood her up?" she said incredulously. She shook her head at him, "Dude, I knew you were nervous last night, but to the extent of bailing out? I mean how are you ever supposed to get the girl if you bail on her on the first date?"

"I never said anything about standing her up." he said defensively.

"Then what happened?" she retorted, crossing her arms and tilting her head up to look at him, "You get_ kidnapped_ or something?"

He flinched as he reached for his backpack, "Well…kind of." he admitted.

She sat up straight, "_What_?"

He sighed, "Nathan and his posse decided it might be kind of fun if they picked me up and left me stranded out in the middle of nowhere."

Her eyes narrowed, "They did _what_?"

"They surprised me as I was walking towards the Cinema." He explained, "Coming up behind me nonetheless." He shook his head, "The damn cowards." He muttered.

"And they just left you there?"

"Well bringing me back would kind of defeat the purpose of leaving me stranded." He said dryly.

She shook her head, "I cannot believe this. I mean how long are they going to keep pulling this shit on you?"

"Till I quit the team."

She shot him a worried look, "You're not going to are you?"

"And give them the satisfaction?" he scoffed, "Hell no."

"Good. But you know, somebody needs to have a serious talk with your father's evil spawn from hell. Give him a taste of his own medicine or something."

"That person being you?" He joked smiling, "And there she is…Protective Peyton to the rescue."

She shoved him playfully as they made their way out the front door, "Dude…how can you joke about this? Not only did they commit a felony…..well it _should_ be." She added, seeing the look on his face, "But they completely ruined your date."

His face fell and he let out a deep sigh, "Yeah,about that...I hope she understands."

"You mean you didn't call her last night to let her know what happened?"

He looked up at her sheepishly, "I…well….see….calling her would kind of be a problem seeing as though I don't exactly have her number."

She didn't know why she found that extremely amusing, but she did. She burst out laughing and he glared at her, "It's not funny." He snapped.

"Oh…yes it is!" she shook her head, trying to contain her amusement, "Are you seriously telling me you didn't even to think to ask the girl for her phone number? In case, oh… I don't know, something like_ this_ happened?"

He sighed as he hopped in the passenger seat of her car, throwing his backpack in the backseat, "I know….I should've thought about that. But I didn't. And what's done is done. And now all I really want to do is get to school so I can explain what happened, and hope she doesn't totally hate me."

She let out an amused laugh as she started the car, "Leave it to your brother. To ruin, _unknowingly_, your semi-chance with the girl you've been crushing on since forever."

"Just like he does everything else." He muttered.

"Well…hey…it's going to be all right okay? Haley seems like the understanding type…and Nathan…well, who cares about him? Let him continue to pull his stupid crap on you. Eventually he's going to realize you're not going anywhere and he'll just have to accept that and quit being such an ass."

He threw her a look, "Are we talking about the same Nathan Scott?" he shook his head, "Yeah, I don't see him letting up any time soon…but you're right…who cares? I've made it pretty clear to him no matter what he does, I'm not quitting the team."

She nodded, "Right. Besides, he has to get bored eventually and move on to terrorize his next victim right?"

He chuckled, "You make him sound like some sort of sociopath."

She smiled, "Ah, same thing."

A couple of minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot and they both got out, making their way into the main entrance.

"Oh, God." Peyton muttered, looking around the halls, "Has this whole place gone mad or what?"

He looked around them, at the huge streamers and white and blue balloons covering up every inch of the hallways. A huge banner spelling out, _GO RAVENS!_ hung in the middle of the ceiling and students were milling around, chattering excitedly about the upcoming game, the majority of them decked out in white and blue.

"Like I really need a reminder the whole day of what's going down tonight." he muttered, taking in the whole scene.

"Yeah." She agreed, "Look like we're a bit under dressed for the occasion." She said looking down at her simple black tank top and old jeans. She groaned as they reached their lockers. She ripped off the flyer advertising the game, and a few streamers that decorated her locker, "I swear, if confetti falls out when I open this thing, I'll scream."

He laughed as he opened his locker and pulled out some books, "Not very cheerleader like there Peyton. Isn't promoting this whole school spirit thing, like your _duty_?"

"And isn't being pumped up and ready to kick ass, _your _duty as a player?" she replied playfully.

He groaned and slumped against his locker, "Yeah…_thanks."_

She rolled her eyes, "Dude…you'll be okay. Seriously, stop worrying. It's only going to make it worse."

"Hey…Peyton!"

They both looked up and Peyton smiled as she noticed Jake push his way through the crowd towards them, "Hey Jake."

He chuckled, "Wow this place is a madhouse huh?" he looked over at Lucas and extended his hand, "Hey, we haven't met…I'm Jake."

Lucas shook his hand a little warily, recognizing him as one of the guys from the team and from Nathan's crowd. "Nice to meet you. I'm-"

"Lucas, I know." He interjected, he chuckled at the questioningly look the blonde threw his way, "Hey, man…you're reputation follows you." he joked.

He laughed deciding then and there that he was all right, "That's not always a good thing."

Jake laughed, "So anyway…you pumped up for tonight's game?"

Lucas groaned and Peyton giggled, "Wrong question Jake." She teased.

"Uh-Oh." He smiled, "First game jitters? Don't worry man, been there, done that. It'll be all right."

"You sound like Peyton." He muttered, "Enough with the optimism."

Jake laughed and he gave him a friendly pat on the back, "I've seen you play man, you'll be okay. Anyways I gotta run so I'll see you guys at practice." He shot a quick smile to Peyton, "Take care of him will you?" he joked, "Make sure he makes it alive to practice."

She laughed and waved him off as Lucas turned to her and smiled, "Soooo…" he started.

She rolled her eyes, already knowing where this was going, "What?"

He nodded towards Jake's disappearing form, "When did that happen?"

She let out a breath, "Dude, stop okay? It's not going to happen."

"What? I didn't say anything."

"No. But you were thinking it. And you can stop, because there's nothing going on there."

"Well, why not?" he raised an eyebrow, "You don't like basket ball players, Peyt?" he teased, earning him a playful shove.

"You mean besides you?" she joked, she shook her head as she closed her locker, "He's a nice guy. And I think that he could be a good friend. But that's _all_." She paused, "Besides…I'm pretty sure he's into someone else."

* * *

Brooke dug inside her book bag and pulled out her favorite mascara. She looked into the small hand mirror that always hung inside her locker and carefully applied it. She fluttered her eyelashes and smiled at her reflection.

A hand reached out and landed on her hip, pulling her in close, "You don't need that." Nathan murmured, leaning in to nuzzle her neck, "You're already perfect."

She grinned and turned around to face him, "How perfect?"

"Hmm." He pretended to ponder over her question, "Perfect for _me_." he paused and winced, "Wait, that was cheesy wasn't it?"

She leaned up to kiss him, "It's okay baby." She winked, "Lucky for you_…I_ think so too."

He grinned down at her, and played with the hem of her skirt, "What do you say we get out of here?" he suggested.

"But.. we have class." She protested lightly.

He leaned in and started placing light kisses down the side of her neck, "So?"

She placed a hand on his chest, "Nathan….." she said, lightly scolding him, "Stop that."

He pulled back to look at her and grinned slyly, "Do you really want me to?"

"You know I don't."

He grabbed her hand and threaded his fingers through hers, "So then what's the problem?"

"Uh…you're forgetting we have our first game tonight. You know Whitey's rules…You skip…you miss…the game that is."

He shrugged carelessly, "We'll be back in time before lunch. Whitey will never notice." He gave her a curious look, "Besides…since when has that stopped _you_ before?"

She pouted, "I have a test this period."

"What do you have?"

"Biology."

"Baby…c'mon..." He winked at her, "I bet I can teach you a thing or two about Biology."

"Ok, Mr. Scott." she teased, "I'd probably pay more attention to you anyways than to Peterson." she patted him on the ass and winked up at him, "You're way cuter."

He laughed, "No argument there." He joked. He pulled her in for a quick kiss and she kissed him back, well aware of the fact that at that moment everyone around them was shooting them looks and murmuring, wondering when and why the famous 'It' couple had made up.

She ignored them as she slipped her hand in his. Who cared what they all said? It was _their _relationship. And people could speculate and talk all they wanted. But they were together again. And in that moment she couldn't have felt happier. In the end, that's all that mattered.

* * *

Jake looked up from his locker in time to see Nathan and Brooke exit the main entrance hand in hand. His face fell slightly, "Well that didn't very take long." He muttered to himself, sighing as he closed his locker, "Looks like I'll be going to Nathan's party alone after all."

Across the hall, having witnessed the same thing, Rachel silently fumed. She couldn't believe they were back together. What the hell was going on?

"Looks like your little plan didn't pan out as expected."

She turned around and came face to face with Haley, "I don't know what you're talking about." She said flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Sure, you don't." she scoffed, coming to stand directly in front of the redhead, "I'm not an idiot. I know you're the one who sent that lovely picture to my phone…" Rachel looked up surprised and Haley smirked, "Yeah…that's right…you sent it to _my_ phone…listen, next time you want to screw over my best friend, you better make sure you cover your tracks..because if I find out you're pulling shit like this again, you'll be sorry."

She crossed her arms in front of her haughtily, "Is that a threat?"

She tilted her head and smirked at her, "When are you going give it up and face it _sweetie_? He doesn't want you. He's never going to want you. So just give up your pathetic attempts and find someone else to whore around with."

Rachel raised an eyebrow, "I swear if I didn't know better, I'd say _you_ wanted him for yourself. I mean all this has got to come out of_ somewhere_ right?"

Haley rolled her eyes and let out a laugh, "I'm just looking out for my best friend. Y'know, protecting her from snakes like _you_."

Rachel ignored her comment, "Really? So if you're looking out for her, then why haven't you told her? Best friends aren't supposed to keep things like this from each other." She rolled her eyes, "Yeah.. nice _looking out_ Haley."

"And give you the satisfaction?" she shook her head, "I think not. Besides, why mention anything at all, when it obviously meant _nothing._ At least according to Nathan."

She laughed as she saw the furious look that crossed the redhead's face, "Sorry, to break it to you, _Sla-chel, _but you're pathetic little plan didn't quite work out for you_._" She mocked, making use of Brooke's nickname for her. "See ya at practice." She added sweetly before brushing past her laughing.

Rachel took a deep breath and slammed her fist against the lockers, ignoring the curious stares from the other students. She was absolutely furious. And determined to find Felix and demand some answers from that good for nothing idiot.

* * *

It was lunch time and Lucas walked around with his tray, his eyes searching the Quad for the pretty blonde he was intent on finding. He hadn't seen her all morning and had barely had a chance to talk to her during their Literature class. He had the misfortune of arriving late, therefore not giving him a chance to so much as look at the girl, as Mrs. Herring had given him a lecture for interrupting her class, and sending him off to detention.

His eyes lit up as he spotted her sitting down at her regular table. He breathed out a sigh of relief as he noticed that she was alone. He walked over to her and set his tray down next to her, "Hey." He said breathlessly sitting down next to her, "I've been looking all over for you."

She looked over at him startled, her heart pounding in her chest, "Hey…"she cleared her throat, "So I guess you need the notes from today's lesson right?"

His brow furrowed, "What?" he shook his head, "That's not the reason I came over to talk to you…although…well now that you mention it…I probably _could_ use them."

She picked up an orange from her tray and began to peel it, "Sure.." she said listlessly, "I'll hand them to you later."

"Well…uh…listen Haley…about last night.." he began, "I just wanted to let you know that I didn't stand you up. I was on my way, when-"

Her eyes flickered slightly and she exhaled, "Hey it's okay." She cut him off, trying to keep her voice light, "You don't have to explain. I mean it wasn't a _date_ or anything. No big deal right?"

His eyes locked with hers and he took a deep breath, his heart sinking in his chest, "Right." He said weakly. He cleared his throat, "I..uh..I have to go…Peyton's probably looking for me and-" he stood up and paused as he looked down at her, "So…I'll get those notes from you later?"

She nodded, not meeting his gaze, "Yeah, sure." She bit her lip as she watched him walk away, her heart feeling heavy in her chest. Why, she wasn't sure. I mean it was just like she told him. Not a big deal. At all.

He sighed as he settled himself at his usual table, looking down at his tray. Suddenly he wasn't hungry anymore.

* * *

At the same time across the parking lot, Rachel strode over to Felix, who was walking off with Tim and Brad towards his car. She pulled him by the arm to stop him, "I need to talk to you." she said in a biting tone, pulling him along with her.

He looked down at her laughing. He shrugged and waved to his friends calling out, "I'll see you guys later."

They laughed and threw him the thumbs-up sign, obviously taking Rachel's urgency to mean something else. At the moment, she didn't care. She just really wanted to give her _partner_ a piece of her mind.

She stopped as soon as they weren't within earshot of anyone and shoved him, "I _knew_ I couldn't count on you." she snapped, "You are _such _an idiot."

He held up his hands to stop her movements, "Whoa…what the hell is wrong with you?"

"You're really going to stand there and _ask_ me that? Or have you not heard that Tree Hill's Perfect Couple is back on?"

"Yeah..okay…so?" he scoffed, "What the hell does that have to do with me?"

"It has everything to do with you! If you had actually done what I had _asked _you to, this wouldn't have happened."

He looked at her confused, "What are you talking about? I took the picture and I sent it to her. How is it my fault if she didn't care and decided to forgive him anyway?"

"It _is _your fault when you sent it to the wrong person!" She snapped, "She never got the picture dumb-ass. You _accidentally _sent it to Haley instead. If I'm supposed to believe that." she let out a breath, "Something so simple as sending the damn picture to Brooke, and you couldn't even follow through."

"Fine, whatever. My bad. It was an innocent mistake." He shrugged carelessly.

"A _stupid _mistake." She corrected him angrily. She ran her fingers through her hair, "The worst thing is that little bitch decided she's not going to show it to Brooke at all." She looked at him, "I need to get my hands on that phone."

"Why? It's not like she still has it." he paused, "Or does she?"

She shrugged, "I'm pretty sure she does. She showed it to me this morning." She paused as she looked at him thoughtfully, "How's the conquest with the tutor going anyway?"

He shrugged his shoulders, a little irritated, "It's not."

She raised an eyebrow, "Giving up already?" she laughed, "What happened to_ 'she'll be putty in my hands in a week tops'?_ You're week's almost up, Tagaro."

He glared at her, "So what? I never said it was over." He smiled smugly, "Besides…I've got a plan."

"Do tell."

"In time, baby, in time."

She rolled her eyes, "Well it better be _soon_. Listen, you need to figure out a way to get to Haley and _fast_. I need to get my hands on that phone and _you're_ going to help me." she thought for a moment, "I've got it. Get her to come with you to Nathan's party tomorrow."

"Okay…and then what?"

"Then we got to figure out a way for you to get that phone. Like, get her_ really_ drunk or something and snatch the phone and give it to me. Afterwards, you can take her home and have your way with her, or whatever it is that you do with your dates."

He shot her a smug grin, "_Please_. I'll have you know I don't have to get my dates wasted for _that_. Trust me, they're always more than willing. And soon, she won't be the exception."

"Whatever. Just make sure you don't screw this up the same way you did the first time." she paused, "But first, you've got to get the prude to agree to go with you."

He shrugged, "Eh. Shouldn't be too hard."

"Right." She scoffed, "Cause, you've had luck landing a date with her so far."

* * *

"I love it when we fight." Nathan murmured as he leaned into Brooke, pushing her against the wall behind the gym, "Because when we make up, it's always so much fun. And plus, you can never get enough of me. Of _us_." he added, trailing light, feathery kisses down the side of her neck.

"How's that any different from any other time?" she teased pulling back to kiss him sensually on the lips, "I want you _all_ the time, Superstar. I thought you'd have learned that by now." She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and pulled him back into her, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss. He groaned against her lips softly and pulled her as close to him as he could, his hand traveling from her hip down to the smooth outside of her thigh. She giggled and snaked her hands inside the back of his shirt, her hands traveling sensually down his smooth back muscles.

Just when things were getting really heated between them, they were interrupted by the vibrating of her phone, from inside the pocket of her jacket. He stopped her hand from reaching for it, instead threading his fingers through hers, "Ignore it." he murmured against her lips.

A couple of seconds later, it vibrated again and he sighed in annoyance, pulling away from her. He reached for it before she could protest and snapped it open, staring down at the text message she had received.

His brow furrowed and he looked back at her, "Who the hell is Tommy?" he demanded hotly.

She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips, "Oh.._Tommy_…"

He narrowed his eyes, "Yes…_Tommy_…who the hell is that idiot? And why does he have your number?"

She ran her hand down his chest, "Are you jealous Nathan Scott?" she teased.

He rolled his eyes, "Answer the question, Brooke."

"Oh…" she shook her head, "He's just someone that I met yesterday at the bar me and Haley went to."

"Wait, what? You went to a bar? And _Haley_, went with you?"

She looked up at him innocently, "What? You didn't expect me to stay home after our fight did you?" he shot her a look and she giggled, "Anyways….it's no big deal….he's not important." She brought her arm around his neck again, toying with the collar of his shirt, "I won't be needing him to make you jealous anymore." She grinned at him playfully.

He smirked, "Playing games Babe?"

"Who me?" she blinked up at him innocently.

He rolled his eyes and scrolled down her phone, hitting the delete button on her contacts, "Well…let's just say…you won't be hearing from this moron anymore."

"Awww…baby…you have nothing to be jealous of. You know I'm all yours."

He grinned slyly as he pulled her back to him, working his hands down the side of her hips again, "Yeah…about _that_…"he teased, leaning down and capturing her lips with his once again.

She closed her eyes and let out a low moan. No, doubt about it. He was right. Their make-ups were always so much fun.

* * *

Right after cheer practice Haley filed out of the gym wanting to go home as soon as possible. Usually, she waited for Brooke and Nathan and they would drop her off home. But she also knew the brunette had just made up with her boyfriend. And Haley, more than anyone knew how those two were after a reconciliation. And she honestly didn't think she could make it through the full ride, forced to watch their lovey-dovey sweetness. At least not without getting sick.

Not today. Not after everything that had happened with Lucas. She sighed to herself as she trudged over to her locker and pulled out her books. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out, why she was still so bothered by the whole thing. She had bumped into him right before practice, and he had asked for her notes. And nothing more. He had barely said a word to her. She couldn't help but feel just a little peeved that he had been able to just brush off the incident like that. Sure he had tried to explain. _Once_. But that was it. And she wasn't sure, but she kind of got the feeling that he was a little upset with her. She didn't understand why. _She _wasn't the one who stood him up.

She shook her head to clear it, _Stop it. _she said to herself. _You, yourself told him it was nothing. So stop acting like you're hurt when __**he**__ acts like it meant nothing._

Lost in her own thoughts, she didn't see Felix until she was almost on top of him. He called out her name to get her attention and she looked up at him, "Sorry…I didn't see you." she mumbled absently.

"You look a little out of it there Doll." he grinned, "Daydreaming about me?"

She sighed, "Felix…"she said wearily not wanting to deal with him just then, "Didn't we have this conversation already?"

He shrugged, "We did. And you keep insisting you don't totally want me." he grinned, "Lucky for you. I don't quite believe you. Also, lucky for you. I'm not one to give up easily when I really want something."

She rolled her eyes, knowing it was useless to rebuke his comment, "And that something is me this time? Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why me?" she repeated, "Of all the girls in this school, why are you so insistent on pursuing _me_? Especially after I've brushed you off time and time again?"

He shrugged, "You're different."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that you're not like the other girls. You're really smart…and pretty…and just really sure of who you are." He grinned slyly, "And maybe, I sort of like the chase."

She just stared at him, not really sure how to respond.

He cleared his throat, feeling a little uncomfortable under her gaze all of a sudden, "So…anyway.. I was wondering if you'd let me take you to Nathan's party tomorrow night?"

"Like a date?"

He grinned, "Well, yeah, baby girl, that would be the idea."

She opened her mouth to say for the last time _No_, when she spotted Lucas and Peyton stepping out of the gym, laughing together.

She paused and she wished she knew what compelled her to lean over to place a quick kiss on Felix's cheek. She wish she knew what drove her to smile at him brightly and say, rather loudly, "Sounds great. It's a date."

She doesn't know why she did that. But she did.

He looked over at her in confusion for a fraction of a second. But in the next instance, he grinned, "I knew you couldn't resist me for long Doll." He reached for her hand and gave it a light squeeze, pulling her towards him. He winked at her, "C'mon. I'll take you home."

She nodded and closed her eyes momentarily, not protesting when he took her books from her and threw his hand around her shoulder casually.

She fought the urge to glance over her shoulder to catch Lucas's reaction. She knows she doesn't need to turn around to know that the look of hurt is there on his face. And maybe, that was the most confusing part of all.


	11. Chapter 11

"Nathan! You have exactly 15 minutes to get your ass down here!" Dan bellowed from the bottom of the stairs.

Nathan groaned at the abrupt interruption and rolled away from his girlfriend, landing on his back softly.

She giggled and lifted herself off slightly from the bed, "Trust us, to have a quickie moments before we have to leave for your game." she combed her fingers through her hair and adjusted her top, turning to look at him, "Daddy Scott's a little impatient tonight isn't he?"

"_Ugh!"_ He shot her a look, "Do _**not **_refer to my father as Daddy Scott_ ever_ again. That's disgusting."

She ran her hand down his chest, "Oh? Is that a name you'd rather I reserve for _you _Baby?"

He grinned as he bent down to brush her lips with his, "You can call me whatever you want." He growled. She smiled against his lips and pulled him back on top of her, not really caring if they were late or not. They had been trying to get ready for the past hour, but kept getting caught up in each other. Of course, she should've known that would've happened when she decided to get ready over at his house.

"Nathan! Ten minutes!"

Brooke sighed and placed a hand on Nathan's chest, lightly pushing him off her, "All right, let's get moving Bitch. Before Dan has a fit."

He glared at her, and she sent him an innocent smile, "What? You said I could call you whatever I wanted."

He shook his head and couldn't help but laugh at her. She really was too cute sometimes. And beautiful, he thought, checking her out appreciatively as she stood up and straightened out her uniform, which had become rumpled from the time they had spent messing around on his bed.

"So this party tonight…" she began, reapplying her lip gloss, "Is it safe to assume that the _entire_ team is going to be there?"

"By that I'm guessing you mean _Lucas_?" he rolled his eyes.

"And his girlfriend…or sister…or _whatever_." She added, fluffing her hair and staring critically at herself in the mirror "Anyways, remember, she's one of my girls now."

He shrugged, "Whatever." He pulled off his shirt over his head and slung it on the bed, digging in his duffle bag for his #23 jersey. "The punk won't show up."

"And if he does?" she questioned.

He smirked, "Then he's got more nerve than even_ I _thought."

She stared at him through the mirror, "Nathan…you're not planning anything against him are you? I mean, not that I really care or anything, but, well I'd just like to know."

"Why would you assume I was?"

"Oh…I don't know…maybe because I _know_ you." she shrugged, "Well even if you were, it couldn't be worse than what you've already pulled." She added, knowing of the previous incidents.

He smirked and pulled on his varsity jacket over his shoulders, "Don't count on it."

"Nathan! Get to moving! Now!"

Brooke looked up at him and laughed, "Uh-Oh, Daddy Scott means business." she teased, leaning down to grab her duffel bag.

He rolled his eyes and sighed, "Brooke…what did I tell you about that?"

She laughed and linked her hand with his, bringing him close to her so that she could plant a sweet kiss on his lips, "And since when do I listen to you?" she looked up at him, flashing her adorable dimples.

He grinned, Yeah, his girl was definitely hot. He placed a hand on the small of her back, bringing her closer to him so that he could deepen the kiss. He walked her backwards towards his bed and lay her down across his bed, for the 3rd or 4th time that night, who was counting?

"Nathan…" she giggled as he continued to kiss down her neck, "Your Dad's going to kill us."

"Hmm…" he murmured, his hand traveling down the side of her body, "We can be late."

The protest died on her lips, when his hands reached their intended destination. She shut her eyes and let out a shaky breath. Yeah, her boy was definitely hot. She allowed herself to get lost in him and his touch and his kiss. For the 3rd or 4th time that night, who was counting?

* * *

"All right, come out Bad-ass, let's see it." Lucas called out, pulling on his new basketball jersey and adjusting it over his frame.

A second later his bathroom door opened and Peyton finally stepped out. He turned around and let out a low whistle taking in her appearance. "Well, hey there Blondie. " he teased, "Who are you and what have you done with my Peyton?"

She blushed and fiddled with the short hem of the skirt, "Shut up." she complained, "I feel so stupid wearing this."

"Well, you look _good_." He said honestly. And she did. The short flouncy skirt revealed her long tanned legs and the fitted top, hugged the curve of her waist perfectly. Her curly hair was pulled back into a neat half ponytail and her make-up was subtle, yet flawless.

She let out a breath, "Thanks." She smiled as she took in his attire, "Speaking of looking good…" she teased, "Look at _you_ Hot-shot."

He tugged on the collar of his jersey and puffed out his chest playfully, "I know." He wiggled his eyebrows at her playfully, "I make it look hot."

She laughed and went to stand next to him by the mirror, "Look at us, getting ready for the first big game of the year. Never did I think this would be us a couple of weeks ago."

"Yeah, well it just goes to show you how much things can change."

She looked over at the clock on his night stand and realized they needed to get a move on if they wanted to get to the gym in time. She scrambled for her duffel bag and tossed his over to him, "Hey, so did you talk to your mom? Did she change her mind?"

His eyes darkened slightly, "No. She wasn't here when I got home, and as far as I know, she's still at the café."

She let out a breath, "That's too bad. I really would've loved to see her there."

He shook his head sadly, "That makes two of us." he slung an arm around her shoulder and squeezed it gently as they walked out of his room, "But hey, at least I'll still have you and Keith there for support."

* * *

Karen looked up from the table she was cleaning as she heard the commotion outside. A huge truck, full of teenage kids zoomed by. She could distinctly hear the continuing chanting of 'Ravens' even after the truck disappeared out of sight.

She looked up at the clock and noticed it was almost 6:30. She sighed as she realized that the game would be well underway in less than an hour.

She looked up at the sound of the door jingling open, and smiled slightly as Keith made his way inside.

"Hey, you ready to go?"

She avoided his gaze, "I'm not going."

"What? Why?"

"I decided to stay open. I could really use the business."

He let out a sigh, "Does Luke know?"

She scrunched up her nose, "Kind of. We sort of had a disagreement over it a couple of days ago."

"He needs you to be there, Karen."

"He'll-he'll be okay…and he'll understand."

"I'm not so sure about that. Listen, I know what going back there tonight means for you. And I'm only going to say this once, but you need to let it go. Lucas needs you to be there for him on such an important night and believe me when I tell you that if you don't go…it's always going to be something you're going to look back on and wish you'd changed. So think about it please? And, hopefully I'll see you there tonight."

The door jingled once more as he exited, and she walked over to it, looking around the empty café, thoughtfully. She fingered the business sign, staring at it for a moment, before making her decision and flipping it over so that it read _Closed_.

* * *

Brooke and Nathan walked in hand in hand a little while later into the packed gym. It seemed everyone from their school was there and the place was buzzing with excitement. She grinned to herself, her eyes sparkling. She totally felt in her element, and she realized just how much she had missed this over the summer. Basketball was such a huge deal in their small town and the games were always such an event. She had to admit that she loved the feeling of walking in with her eye-catching uniform on the arm of the team's hottest star, knowing in all honesty that all eyes were on her and her boyfriend. And really who could blame them? She was sure, the two of them were quite a sight together.

She caught sight of her squad on the other side of the gym and she turned to Nathan, leaning up to kiss him quickly, "Just in case I don't get to talk to you before tip-off." she smiled, "You're good luck kiss. Of course, not that you need it."

He kissed her back, catching Whitey's exasperated look out of the corner of his eye, "I always need my good luck charm." He smiled back, referring to her kiss right before tip-off, which he now considered a ritual.

She kissed him back for just a minute and pulled away from him reluctantly, walking over to her squad, ready to go over the last minute stuff with them.

"Hey girls!" she said happily, coming to stand in front of them, "You guys ready or what?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "_We've_ been ready. We have been for past 30 minutes that we've been warming up. Now, I don't know about _you_, seeing as though you're late."

"And who are you?" she retorted, "The team captain? Oh no wait. That's_ me. _Sorry Sla-chel, but I don't owe _you_ any explanations." She threw her hair over her shoulder and smirked, "And if you must know as to why I was late…well let me just put it this way…although Nathan can be quite fast on the court…he likes to take his time when it…uh..comes to other things…" she kinked up her brow suggestively, for the sole purpose to tick the redhead off.

"Basketball Slut." She muttered.

"Jealous whore." She shot back.

They glared at each other and Haley who'd been quiet came in between them knowing how quickly things could escalate between the two. She pulled Brooke off to her side and gave her a look. Brooke smiled innocently at her and turned away from her to talk to Bevin and Teresa.

Haley stretched her arms over her head, wanting nothing more than to get the whole thing over with. It struck her that even as long as she'd been doing this, she never quite bought into the whole excitement and madness that came with the first game of the year. Not like Brooke anyways, she thought, catching her best friend out of the corner of her eye. She could think of better things she could be doing with her time, instead of prancing around a stuffy gym in a too-short skirt, yelling silly words of encouragement to guys running around after a ball.

She let out a breath and shook her head, willing herself to get into the spirit of the game. She paused as she watched Peyton and Lucas walk into the gym together. She apparently wasn't the only one to notice them as she caught sight of Dan Scott watching the two blondes with a strange look on his face. She saw Lucas direct his gaze towards the crowded stands, his eyes landing on the older man.

"Aw…" she heard Rachel mutter next to her sarcastically, "Daddy must be _so _proud. Both sons in the team. How lucky could a father get? Too bad one's a complete star and the other one's a complete loser."

"Aw…." Peyton said, coming up behind the girls, having heard Rachel's last comment, "And _your _mommy must be _so _proud. Having done the _entire _team, or at least tried to, how lucky could a mother be?"

The other girls laughed and Rachel glared at Peyton, "Listen Blondie. You're new to this. I'd watch it if I were you. You do _not_ want to mess with me."

Peyton rolled her eyes as she stretched her legs in front of her, "_Please_,like that's even a real threat. You may get away with being a bitch most of the time, but make another underhanded comment like that and I'll show _you _why you don't want to mess with _me_." She wasn't fazed by the icy glare the redhead threw her way.

Brooke grinned, approving of the girl in that moment. She walked over to her and slipped her arms through hers, "Way to go Goldilocks." She whispered in her ear.

Haley looked away from them. She turned her attention back to the other side of the gym. Where it no doubt, kept straying back to, ever since the handsome blonde had first come in. At that same moment, he looked up and their eyes met. He smiled hesitantly and she smiled back, letting out a sigh of relief she didn't realize she'd been holding in. She thought back to their conversation the day before and truly hoped he would be okay. She knew how important this game was to him, especially considering, who was and who _wasn'_t in the stands.

She looked away from him when the way he was looking at her became too much for her. Who knew a simple glance from someone else, could have your heart pounding in your chest like you'd just run a marathon?

"Hey beautiful." A pair of lips grazed the shell of her ear and she jumped, turning around to glare at Felix. She slapped him on the arm, "Don't ever do that again." she hissed.

"Whoa…_soo_ agressive.._soo _hot." He laughed at the look she was giving him, "Anyways, I just wanted to come over and wish you luck."

"Why? I'm not the one playing."

"No. But you are the one pumping up the crowd. Although…" his gaze traveled down her short skirt, "Just seeing you in your uniform, already has _me_ pumped up and full of school spirit, if you know what I mean."

Her mouth fell open slightly and she shook her head as she watched him walk away. How in the hell did she ever agree to go out with this jerk? _Oh,_ she told herself glancing back at the new member of the basketball team, _You know the answer to that one, whether you want to realize it or not._

"Haley!" she turned startled to catch her best friend's annoyed stare. The brunette shook her head at her, "We're starting in a couple of minutes and I've been _trying_ to get your attention, but like always, your head is up in space. Focus, Tutor Girl!"

"Sorry." She mumbled, taking a deep breath and shaking herself out of it. She had never been one to zone out over a boy. Or _boys_, as her case may be. And she wasn't about to start now.

* * *

Peyton took a deep breath and fumbled with her short skirt. She felt incredibly self-conscious and felt as if all eyes were on her, although she knew that was probably not true. She felt ridiculous and totally out of her element. Why in the world did she ever think doing this was a good idea?

"It gets easier every time, y'know."

She turned to her side to find Brooke smiling at her earnestly.

"What does?"

She waved her hand around at the crowd, "Them. The whole thing. It gets easier with each game." she shrugged, "Just breathe, Goldilocks. And let everything let go out of your mind. Just do what you've been doing at practice, and you'll be fine." She patted her on the shoulder lightly.

She smiled back and nodded, "Thanks."

The pretty captain paused as she turned back to regard her, "Are you coming over to Nathan's later?"

She shrugged, "Oh..I don't know. Hadn't really thought about it to be honest." _We_ hadn't thought about it, she wanted to add, thinking of her best friend.

"Well…hey it's tradition for the entire team and squad to be there, so think about it okay?" she smiled at her again and turned her attention to Bevin, going over some minor details with the pretty blonde on the first cheer.

Peyton looked at her a little surprised, and she couldn't help but think back to the conversation that she and Jake had a couple of days earlier. Okay, so maybe the girl wasn't over friendly. But it was a start. And in that instance she caught a small glance at the great girl Jake claimed her to be.

* * *

Lucas looked around the crowded gym, his gaze lingering on the cheerleaders on the other side of the gym. Well..to _one_ in particular.

Okay...it wasn't exactly helping with his nerves in any way. It didn't help him in any way that she had to look amazingly beautiful in her simple uniform.

He picked up a ball and dribbled it around the court in an effort to focus. He ran along with the rest of his teammates as they all warmed up, stopping right underneath the basket and sending the ball into a smooth lay-up.

"Looking good hot-stuff." Peyton called out to him as he jogged by, quietly enough as to not draw attention to herself, but just loud enough for him to hear.

He grinned back and jogged back over to the bench, unzipping his jacket and slipping it off. He paused, as he felt the eyes of the man he had come to hate over the years. He turned and looked him straight in the eyes, unwilling to let him faze him.

"Hey Luke, my man. I see you made it here alive."

Lucas tore his gaze away from Dan and smiled as he saw Jake approach him. They knocked knuckles, "Just barely." He joked. Well, kind of.

Jake nodded and he paused as he saw Lucas glance back to the older man in the stands. He clapped him on the shoulder, "Hey, man. Don't let him take it."

He looked back at him questioningly, "What?"

He nodded towards Nathan's father knowingly, "Your talent. Don't let him take it. That's something that's all yours, and yours alone."

He thought over Jake's words as he walked away, smiling to himself. His smile grew wider as he spotted his mom coming in and looking around. She met his eyes and she waved at him, smiling over at him. He saw her take a deep breath and walk over tentaviley to the bleachers, and at that moment his heart surged with love for his mother.

* * *

Nathan who was practicing on the other side of the gym looked over at the blonde boy over by the bleachers. He gritted his teeth and boiled internally as he caught sight of the name on the back of his jersey. _Scott_. As if he needed another reminder on how fucked up everything was. As if it wasn't enough that he could catch the speculation as to why there were _two _Scotts on the team.

He let out a breath and shook his head. He so didn't need to think about any of this right now. He needed to concentrate on his game. He turned towards the cheerleaders who were in the middle of one of their newest cheers. He couldn't help but grin as he caught sight of his girlfriend. She was totally in her element and she looked_ so_ hot, prancing around in her short skirt, yelling words of encouragement to the team. Although to only one in particular, he realized as she looked back at him and winked, blowing him a kiss.

He winked back at her and chuckled. What would he ever do without the most beautiful girl by his side cheering him on? He didn't even want to think about her not ever being there.

As he went under the basket for a layout, his gaze wandered over to the new cheerleader…Peyton..or something. His brother's girlfriend or best friend or whatever. He paused as he allowed himself to fully look at her for the first time._ Damn_, he thought. _Why hadn't he ever noticed her before?_ The girl was beautiful. Of course, maybe not in the sort of obvious way his girlfriend was. But still. The girl definitely held her own, he realized, checking out the way her slim body stood out in the skimpy outfit and the way her curls were pulled prettily away from her face. And those eyes...even as they stared back at him coldly, he couldn't help but notice that they were the deepest shade of emerald.

He flashed her his famous grin and winked at her when her eyes met his. He couldn't help it. That part of him, that always noticed a pretty girl, that natural flirt in him would always be there. He couldn't shut that part of his personality off.

She rolled her eyes and turned around, but not before he could catch the blush that appeared on her cheeks.

He jogged past the girls and caught sight of Lucas's angry stare. He couldn't help but laugh at the tall blonde's expression. Having this girl on the squad, might work to his advantage in the end, he realized, thinking about how much fun he would have watching his_ brother_ squirm as he flirted and messed with his girl, or whatever she was to him. But one thing was sure, judging from his brother's expression, she was definitely _important_.

* * *

"Nathan!" his dad called out, coming up from behind him, "Remember, 20 shots… no less.

He fought the urge to salute his father, but opted to give him a quick assuring nod, "Got it, dad."

* * *

The game is about to start and Whitey calls them all in for a huddle, "All right boys. Go out there and make me proud. Ravens on three…1..2..3..Ravens!"

Whitey turned to Lucas, "All right son...you'll be sitting out the first half…"he turned to Nathan, "And you..Go out there and remember what we talked about."

Nathan nodded and he couldn't stop the smirk that appeared on his face. He leaned in towards the blonde so that only he could hear, ""Remember when I told you there was only room for one of us in this team? Why don't you watch and learn how it's done punk."

The entire gym resonated with cheers and applause as the younger Scott, ran around the gym.

"And there he is again!" their school announcer boomed over the speakers, "Bringing it home again. Another basket by Nathan Scott! He really looks sharp out there tonight. And now a steal by the ravens. They'll go on the offensive. Coach Whitey Durham urges them on. Tim Smith -- he's got Scott! And he hammers it home! ! He's already got 14 of the Ravens' 17 points tonight. Whoa! What a turnaround jumper! He's hot! What am I saying? He's smoking!"

"Hey Scott, L!" Whitey motioned over to him, "You're going in for Tim. C'mon let's go boy!"

Lucas dropped his towel on the bench and nervously got up. So this was it. _No big deal,_ he told himself. _You can do it._

Well, at least he thought he could. By the 2nd minute of being in, he wasn't so sure. He went to catch the ball that Brad threw his way and he narrowly missed it.

Brooke rolled her eyes as the ball whizzed past her, "Yeah..Nice catch!" she bit sarcastically. Seriously, couldn't this loser do anything right?

He didn't miss a beat as he grinned at her, "Nice legs." Was the quick reply.

Her mouth dropped open slightly in surprise. She couldn't help the flirtatious grin from spreading across her face. That part of her, that always noticed a cute guy, that natural flirt in her would always be there. She couldn't shut that part of her personality off. And the boy was definitely good looking, she realized, _really_ looking at her boyfriend's rumored half-brother for the first time. Okay, so maybe he wasn't drop-dead gorgeous in the sort of obvious way that Nathan was, but the blonde definitely held his own.

She turned to her side, upon feeling her best friend's glare, "What?"

Nathan sighed in frustration as he looked over and noticed. He jogged over to Lucas, and jabbed him subtly on his side, "Keep your eyes on the ball, instead of my girl, punk." He snapped.

He didn't have a chance to respond as at that moment an opponent took the ball and by the time he realized it, he was too late to stop the opposing team from scoring a basket. He looked up towards the stands and couldn't help but notice Whitey shake his head in disappointment.

Nathan however found it amusing, "Hey!" he cracked, "Which side are you on?"

He let out a breath through gritted teeth. _Get it together!_ He looked up in time as the ball came flying at him. He caught it smoothly and went in under the net to score, shooting it up in the air. He winced as it hit the rim of the basket and rebounded to the other side.

Nathan rolled his eyes and recovered the ball, dribbling it past the defense and sending it into a smooth dunk.

Dan stood up and clapped loudly, "Yeah! That's my boy! Go, Nathan!" he yelled out in a loud clear voice.

Whitey wipes his hand across his face tiredly. He signals the referee for a change and he obliges, blowing the whistle. Whitey motions to the older Scott, clapping him on the back as he walks over to him, "It's not your night, son." He motions to Vegas, "C'mon boy…you're going in."

Lucas walks over to his spot on the bench and slumps down it. He looks up and Nathan runs by laughing, "Hey…start taking notes, punk. You might actually learn something."

* * *

Brooke ran her fingers along Nathan's back, pushing herself as close to him as she possibly could. He groaned softly as his hands ran down the side of her body, his fingers digging into the smoothness of her thigh. God, she felt so good…

A second later, he pulled away from her, snickering. She pulled back to look at him and raised an eyebrow, "What's so funny?"

He shook his head, "Nothing, nothing." He closed the small gap between them and pulled her back into his arms roughly, his lips meeting hers again in a searing kiss. And yet again, despite his efforts, a chuckle escapes his lips.

She pushed him away angrily and fell back on her side of the car, "Un-fucking-believable."

"What?" he laughed openly now, "Babe, did you see how bad he sucked?"

She rolled her eyes and looked out the window, disinterested, "Like I care?"

He shook his head, utterly enjoying this, "He was horrible! Never in my life did I ever see a guy suck so much."

"And that's funny?"

He looked at her like she was crazy, "Hell _yeah_."

She rolled her eyes again and turned away from him.

He glared at her, "What's up Brooke? You never had a problem bashing the guy before." He looks at her closely, "What? You like this guy now or something? I saw the way you checked him out earlier. Go ahead, deny it." he challenged.

For some reason, Haley's words from the day at the mall came back to her just then, _I get the situation between him and Nathan is screwed up…but you don't even __**know**__ him…_she shook her head and laughed. Why was she thinking about that now? "Yeah, _right_, He's totally not my type." She snaked her hand around his neck, pushing her way on top of him, "At least not the way that _you _are, who by the way I was _trying _to make out with. And yet, you can't stop thinking about your brother, so maybe I should be the one asking _you_ what's wrong?"

He pushed her off him, thoroughly annoyed now, "Well put some ice on it. You ever think I might want to talk? And _don't _call him that." he added.

She scoffed and crossed her arms in front of her, "You're really going to pull that on me right now? I mean _really_ Nathan, when was the last time we _talked_?"

"Well then, maybe you should rethink our relationship." He muttered.

Her head whipped around to face him, "Are you kidding me?" she snapped, "Who's the girl in this relationship? Because, right now it sounds to me like _you_ are." she slumped down in her seat, "Y'know what? Screw this. Just take me home, I can only take your shit for so long."

"Fine." He snapped, absolutely furious. She seriously did not just acuse him of acting like a girl.

"Fine." She shot back, absolutely furious. He seriously did not just agree to take her home _that_ quickly.

He gunned the engine and peeled out of the secluded park, they usually parked after a game to fool around. She rolled her eyes and scooted away from him as far as she could. They rode in absolute silence the entire drive to her house. Trust him, to act like an immature jerk. Sometimes she truly did not understand him…and sometimes…she got tired of trying to.

She sneaked a look back at his angry expression. _Shit…if only he wasn't so damn hot…._

He slammed on the brakes as he screeched to a halt directly in front of her house. She gathers her stuff quickly, avoiding his gaze as she kicked her side of the door open.

He sighed as he watched her angry movements. He reached out a hand to stop her and pulled her back a little so that he could look at her, "Hey..." He started softly, "Will I see you later tonight?"

She paused, her anger dissipating slowly at his apologetic stance. In the next instance it was gone, and she shook her head firmly, her expression hardening into a cold nonchalant smile, "Maybe you will. And maybe you won't." she shrugged, "Don't hold your breath, Superstar." She stepped out and slammed the door behind her, running up the steps of her house without so much as a backward glance.

He shook his head and slammed his hand on the wheel. Trust her to act like an absolute bitch. Sometimes he truly did not understand her….and sometimes…he got tired of trying to…

* * *

"Could it have gone any worse tonight?" Lucas moaned as he lay across his bed.

Peyton rolled her eyes at the pathetic expression on her best friend's face, "Could you be any more melodramatic?"

He sat up and looked at her , "Are you kidding me? Did you _hear_ what they were saying about me?"

"Who cares?" she shot back exasperated, "It's just a game. Who cares if the entire school, most of your friends and half the town saw you suck?"

He glared at her, "Y'know…now would be the perfect time to do your whole cheerleader thing and oh, I don't know…try to _cheer_ me up and tell me things aren't as bad as they seem?"

She crossed her arms in front of her as she regarded him, "Nope. Sorry. I'm not sugarcoating shit for you. I call it and I tell it how it is…and so yeah…tonight wasn't your best. In fact, I don't remember ever seeing you play so bad-"

"Peyton!" he cried out angrily.

She bit back a smile, "_Sorry_. The point is… it was _one_ game, Lucas. Your first…but certainly not your last. So _chill_, Dude. You'll just have to do better next time buddy. "

He sighed and rolled around his bed to face her, not wanting to talk about it anymore, "Well…I certainly wasn't the only one to cause speculation tonight." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked defensively.

He waved his hand at her cheerleader outfit, which she had quickly discarded after arriving at his house, opting to change into one of his shirts and pair of sweat pants, claiming the skimpy outfit suffocated her, "I'm talking about _that_. And how it certainly seemed to catch the attention of several guys there tonight, or should I say _one_ in particular?"

She let out a breath, rolling her eyes, "I swear…before tonight the jerk probably didn't know I even existed. But sure…the one night I show up in a flouncy skirt, perfect hair and flawless make-up…all of a sudden he gives me the once-over, regarding me with his _killer_ smile and expect me to just fall for his undeniable _charm_." The sarcasm just rolled off her tongue and she scoffed, "How typical."

"Okay, okay enough with the sarcasm. I get it. All I'm saying is I saw the way he looked at you tonight and the jerk better not try to pull anything with you."

"He won't. He's got a girlfriend remember?"

"And when has that stopped him before?"

She shrugged and turned away, not wanting to get into it any further, because if she was honest with herself, when he had winked and smiled over at her, well she'd be lying if she said she hadn't felt a small, but very real _thrill._ The guy was hot, and even someone as jaded as her, couldn't deny that.

She looked at her best friend, clearing her thoughts. "Anyways…so this party? Are we going or what?"

He gave her a look, "And further embarrass myself? I think not. I do not want to face those people after tonight."

She sighed, "Those _people_…in case you've forgotten…are now your teammates…and _one _of them..is your supposed dream girl…" she shrugged, "But hey…I guess if you _don't_ want to see her…"

He sat up quickly in bed, "Well I guess…we _could _stop by..."

She laughed and shook her head, "I knew you would be a goner once I mentioned Haley…god you're so whipped and you're not even with the girl…" she shuddered visibly, "Kill me the day I start acting as love-sick as _you_…"

"Ha-ha." he dead-panned, getting up slowly from the bed.

She crossed her arms in front of her, "Will you hurry up?"

He gave her a curious look, "Why do you want to go so bad?"

She shrugged, "I just want to go check it out. Who knows? We might even have fun."

"Uh-Huh…_Sure_. You just want to go see _Nathan_." He teased.

"Lucas." She said sweetly, pushing him in the direction of his closet, "Go change."

He popped his head out of the closet, "Speaking of…we're going to your house straight after this…because there's no way in _hell_ I'm showing up with you looking like _that_." he teased, ducking his head back in quickly as a pillow flew past him.

* * *

Nathan slumped down on the couch. He was at his Dad's beach house and it was only 10:00 and he was supposed to be setting up, for the huge bash that was supposed to go down in less than an hour. But honestly, he couldn't bring himself to really care, if it went down or not. People could just bring their own damn beer and hang around. He could care less. But he wasn't doing shit.

He groaned as he thought back to his argument with Brooke. Why did that girl have to get to him so easily? Why did he even have to care? She didn't realize the power she had to break or make his day. And he hated it. He was Nathan Scott, damn it. He wasn't used to feeling so damn vulnerable in a relationship. He was used to feeling in control. To _being _in control. He had never been the love-sick one in the relationship, chasing the girl down like a whipped puppy.

He'd be damned if he let her be the exception.

The doorbell rang, bringing him out of his reverie. He relunctantly got up, momentarily wondering why Tim, who was already supposed to be there to help him set up, didn't just walk in, instead of making him get up to answer.

He opened the door and his eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Rachel? What are you-"

He didn't have a chance to finish as the redhead pushed him back inside the doorway, slamming the door behind her and bringing his head down to crash her lips into his in a fiery kiss.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N THIS CHAPTER IS LONG AND IT JUST COVERS THE NIGHT OF THE FIRST GAME, AT NATHAN'S AFTER PARTY….I'D SAY TO PLEASE REVIEW…BUT MOST OF YOU DON'T ANYWAY..=(…I DO WANT TO THANK rachtree**, **cabot007**and **Long Live BRUCAS** **FOR ALWAYS REVIEWING…THIS ONE'S FOR YOU…YOU GUYS ROCK!**

The party was full under way as Brooke walked up the steps to Nathan's beach house. She paused as she reached the door, taking the time to quickly check out her reflection in the window. She smiled in approval of the short red dress that clung to her body and flung the door open, making her grand entrance.

"Brooke!"

"Awesome cheers tonight!"

"You guys were on fire! Awesome show!"

She flashed her famous dimpled smile as she sashayed in, accepting a full cup of beer from Tyler, "Uh..ya!" she took a sip of her drink, "We were totally hot tonight…speaking of which…" she grinned over at Brad, "Awesome 3-pointer tonight, hot stuff."

"Thanks." He grinned, "Didn't think you were paying attention."

"Are you kidding me?" she ran her fingers up and down his arm and winked, "You're kind of hard _not_ to notice Fisher…" she teased, "And I always make it a point to watch out for a good play. Especiall_y_, when they're done by such total hotties. Did I mention that you were totally on fire tonight?"

He blushed and she couldn't help but smile to herself as she downed the contents of her cup swiftly. _Guys are soo easy_, she thought_, throw them a couple of compliments and smile at them prettily and they were done in._ Of course, it wasn't that it was coming from just any girl. She was Brooke Davis and guys were pretty much putty in her hands without so much effort put forward.

She stared at her empty cup and pouted, ""Damn. I'm all out." she turned towards the tall, shaggy blonde, "Brad…would you be a sweetheart and get me another drink?" she asked sweetly. "Or better yet. Why don't you bring back the brand new bottle of Blue Sky, I _know_ is right by the keg?" she winked, "I might even let you take a body shot with me."

"Uh…y-yeah..s-sure" he stuttered wondering how he could have gotten so lucky, "I'll be right back."

She giggled at his quick departure. It was so much fun to see the effect she had on guys. They were so cute when they got all flustered. She looked around, looking for her best friend and rolled her eyes as she saw Rachel in the middle of the living room, slamming down shots with Tyler.

"Hey slut, starting a little early don't you think?" Brooke commented, walking over to the small group that had formed around the other two, "Why don't you just go ahead and slam down the entire bottle?" she suggested, " Would certainly save you the time."

The redhead shrugged indifferently, "So I'm a little thirsty. So what?" she grinned slyly, "I needed it to replenish my uh _resources _after tonight."

"Okay..ew. So, didn't need to know that. After all…who knows where your r_esources_ have been tonight."

Rachel grinned to herself as she saw the brunette walk away, "Wouldn't you like to know."

* * *

"You want another drink?"

Haley shook her head and held up her drink, "No, I'm okay." She replied listlessly.

"You wanna dance?"

Again she shook her head and Felix let out a sound of frustration. This wasn't exactly going the way he had planned. The pretty blonde had hardly said a word to him the entire night and had barely so much as acknowledged his presence.

"You waiting for somebody?" he asked her, noticing that her gaze kept straying towards the front door.

"Huh?" she blinked.

He shrugged, a little irritated, "Well you've been staring at that door expectantly the whole time we've been here."

"Oh.. Uh…" she fiddled with the top of her cup, a little embarrassed, "No..maybe, have you seen Brooke?"

"No, I haven't. But I'm sure wherever she is, she's certainly paying attention to_ her_ date.." he said pointedly, "Instead of completely ignoring him and wondering where her best friend is."

"Hmmm." She took a sip of her drink, apparently not having heard his last comment, "That's good." she muttered, her eyes looking everywhere but at him.

He rolled his eyes and caughst sight of Rachel's amused smirk across the room. He finished the rest of his drink in one big gulp, "Well_ I_ need another refill." He muttered, squeezing her shoulder lightly, "I'll be right back, Doll."

"Yeah, sure." She mumbled, not really caring where he went. In fact, if he never came back at all, she would be more than okay with that. She wondered for the hundredth time that evening, just why she had accepted to come with him.

She quickly got her answer as she noticed the commotion coming from the front door. Peyton and Lucas, had actually decided to show up.

* * *

Haley apparently wasn't the only one who noticed, as Nathan looked up from his spot by the kitchen. He almost choked on his drink at the sight of his brother and his curly blonde counterpart. He laughed and turned to Tim, "Well, well, look who decided to show up." he nodded towards the foyer.

"Damn, the kid has balls!"

Nathan sighed, "Tim, just say you can't believe he came."

"Well he does." he defended himself.

Nathan shook his head and threw his head back, gulping down his drink. He slammed the cup down on the counter and reached for two more, his gaze trained on the blonde couple as he started to walk towards them.

"Wait.." Tim pulled him back, "Nathan..don't. If you're going to kick his ass, _please_ do it after the party." He whined, "I just got here and Bevin's not drunk yet, so don't ruin my chances for tonight."

He rolled his eyes, "Relax, Bro." He smirked, "I'm just going to go over and say Hi."

* * *

"Tell me, just why you convinced me to come?" Lucas muttered to Peyton as they stood in the foyer, feeling the stares from the others.

"Lucas, _relax_. Who cares what they think?" she grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the door, "Now c'mon, let's go find something to drink."

He sighed, "All-right, whatever." He let Peyton pull him towards the kitchen, all the meanwhile his eyes seeking a certain blonde cheerleader and her date.

Peyton stopped abruptly as she spotted Nathan walking towards them, drinks in hand. He was regarding them with a self-amused smirk, stopping directly in front of her to hand her a drink. He flashed her his famous grin and extended his hand, "I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you yet. I'm Nathan."

She ignored his extended hand, "Really?" she retorted, "Cause'_ I_ haven't had the misfortune."

He laughed and clutched his chest, "Ouch." He glanced over at Lucas and raised an eyebrow, "Didn't think you'd have the guts to show your face here, punk." he stated matter of factly, grinning at him smugly, "Especially after quite the uh spectacle you put on tonight."

Lucas took in a sharp breath, "Well, hey it was just one game right?" he shrugged, "And I heard the entire team was invited…right _teammate_?" he turned his attention to his best friend, "I'm going to get a drink. I'll be right back."

She nodded and took a sip of her drink, attempting to walk past Nathan. He, however, opted to move in front of her, trapping her in the small space of the foyer.

She glared at him, "Do you mind?" she snapped.

He grinned as he stepped to the side, "No, by all means feel free."

She gave him a look and walked past him, but he touched her elbow lightly, stopping her, "Hey, wait."

She sighed in annoyance and turned back to face him, "_What?"_

He grinned, "Damn, Curly…are you always this defensive?" he shook his head in amusement,"You know, here I am, trying to be a nice guy, wanting to make you feel welcome and y'know…" he winked, "Show you around."

"Okay, first of all.._don't_ call me Curly. Second of all, _nice guy _and _Nathan_ don't exactly go together now do they? And third of all, I know how you like to welcome girls, so_...No_, thank you...but I can show myself around." She rolled her eyes.

He laughed and pointed his drink at her, "Y'know, you're lucky you're so cute, otherwise I wouldn't let you get away with talking to me like that."

"Okay, I'm going to cut right through the chase." She crossed her arms in front of her, "I'm not an idiot. I know where you're sudden interest in me stems from….and let me be the first to tell you, it's not going to work." she tilted her head up at him, "And besides... you're just really not my type."

He chuckled, impressed at her accusation, "You're sure that's the reason, I noticed you all of a sudden?" he took a step closer to her, "And here _I _thought it's because you're so freaking hot." He smirked, "Besides...I'm everyone's type, Babe. Cute, popular, and rich."He winked, "Not to mention available and willing."

She rolled her eyes, "I hate to break it to you, but your cocky,star-of-the-team bullshit doesn't work on everyone, and it sure as hell isn't going to work on me."

He gave her a once over and nodded appreciatively, "Sadly, that it doesn't."

"Maybe for you." she retorted, picking up her drink, "But certainly not for me."

He couldn't help but laugh as she brushed past him, sending him a dirty look. He had to admit..he was more than a little impressed. Never before, had a girl _not _fallen at his feet. It was an unusual feeling, to say the least. But it just left him all the more intrigued.

That almost feeling of awe, however didn't last for long, as he looked up and his gaze met Brooke's across the room. She was eyeing him intently, and he was sure she had just witnessed his interaction with the new cheerleader. He smirked, and he raised his cup in her direction in a mock toast. She glared at him, and tossed her hair over her shoulder. She turned her back to him and smiled sweetly at Jake, before slipping her arm through his and leading him away.

The smile on his face quickly turned into a frown and he cursed silently. He knew their little game by now. She could flirt with Jagielski and the entire team, for all he cared. But he wasn't going to be the first to give in. No matter, how ridiculously hot she looked tonight in that red little number.

* * *

"Here man!" a tall brown-haired guy with too many piercings, shoved a drink in Lucas's chest as soon as he stepped inside the kitchen.

"Thanks," he mumbled, slightly amused, "That was quick." He turned around and bumped into a smaller figure. He looked down and found himself face to face, with the whole reason he'd come tonight, "Haley..." he said softly.

She looked up at him in surprise and brushed her hair out of her eyes, "Lucas.." she cleared her throat, "Hey."

He nodded towards her empty cup and smiled in an attempt to ease the tension, "Refill?"

"Yeah.." she looked away, almost embarrassed. She had taken, but a step towards the kitchen, when the door swung open and the guy with the piercings rushed out, several full cups in hand. He glanced down at her and noticed her empty cup. Without a word, he plucked it from her hands quickly and discarded it, shoving a full one right into her arms, and quickly running off.

"Uh..okay." she looked over at Lucas in slight awe and theyt both burst out laughing, "_**Who **_is that?"

"I think he came with the keg." He smiled, "The ultimate party superhero...or something like that," he shrugged, "Y'know, coming to the rescue, making sure no one goes without alcohol, for too long."

"Yeah, well, he's _good_." she admitted, taking a sip of her drink as they both made their way into the slightly deserted kitchen. He leaned across the counter as she slid onto one of the stools.

"What?" she asked, self-consciously, when she noticed his intent gaze, "Do I have something..?-" she ran her hand over her mouth.

"Uh...no.." he shook his head, averting his gaze, "It's just...well, you look really beautiful tonight." he offered, shyly.

She blushed, totally not expecting that, "Umm..thanks." she said softly, fumbling with the hem of her jean skirt.

"Lucas, there's something I-"

"Haley, I wanted to-"

They both paused and looked at each other, laughing slightly. He nodded at her, "Go, ahead."

She took a deep breath and smiled, "Listen...I know yesterday I-"

"There you are Baby girl!" Felix burst in through the door, "I've been looking all over for you!" he dropped a quick kiss on her cheek, "Oh. Hey...Lucas, right?"

He glared at him, "Right."

Felix ignored him and grabbed Haley's hand, pulling her up gently, "Now, c'mon Doll..we're all waiting for you to start the game."

She reluctantly got up and glanced back at Lucas, swallowing her dissapointment, "Sure...okay."

Felix glanced back at Lucas, "You coming, man?"

He shrugged and emptied his cup, "Sure, why not? I mean games are always fun, right?"

* * *

Brooke looked up from her spot on the couch and grinned, "Tutor Girl! Finally! I was about to send a search party for you!" she looked down at her hand which was intertwined with Felix's and winked, "Although…I can see you've obviously been uh, _busy."_

Lucas cringed and took a long sip of his drink. At that moment the brunette noticed him and stood up, walking towards him. "Well, hey there All-star." She grinned up at him flirtatiously, hooking her arm through his, well aware of Nathan's angry glare, "Come, play with us."

He followed her hesitantly, "What's the game?"

She smiled slyly, "I never…"

"And yet apparently you have."

She glared over at Vegas, "Shut up."

Nathan ignored them and turned his attention to Lucas, "So…anyways this is how it works. We all take turns saying things that we've never done, and anybody at the table who has…" he holds up his drink, "BAM!"

He nodded, "Drinks. Okay, yeah…sure..count me in." he took a sip of his drink, "Sounds harmless enough."

Nathan smirked, "Yeah…" he turned to his left, " All right, Theresa, you're first."

"Okay, let's see… I've never… had sex with anything made out of plastic."

Brooke sneaked a sly look at Nathan and quickly took a sip. Everyone around her laughed and he shot her an amused look, nodding slowly.

She grinned, "Okay, my turn. I've never… no wait.. I did that, um…" she giggled, racking her mind for something she hadn't done yet.

Nathan rolled his eyes, taking hold of his cup, "Time's up. My turn…Hmm…let's see…I've never…" he pretended to think about it, for a second. He grinned as he locked eyes with the blonde across from him, "I got it. I've never had a dad who wished I was a stain on the bed sheets."

Everyone looked around at each other, laughing a little uncomfortably. Tim, however cracked up and patted Nathan on the back, "Nice!"

Haley shot Lucas a concerned look, gauging his reaction. He ignored everyone's wary gaze and gritted his teeth, walking over to Nathan and slamming his cup down in front of him, "Then you're welcome to mine." He snapped.

Haley shook her head as she watched Lucas storm out. She turned towards Nathan and glared at him, "I've got one.." she said calmly, locking eyes with her best friend's boyfriend, "How about...I never once betrayed my girlfriend, or _lied_." she offered angrily.

He shot her a warning look, and she ignored it, walking over to him and shoving her drink in his hand, "Here." she snapped, "You can have mine. Drink up!"

"Wait, _what?"_ she could hear the confusion in Bevin's voice as she rushed out after Lucas, "When did Haley get a girlfriend?!"

Brooke turned her gaze to Nathan, "What was _that _all about?"

He shrugged, "Who knows?" he brushed it off, "Apparently, some people can't take a fucking joke."

* * *

"Lucas! Wait!" Haley ran after the blonde, and reached out her arm to stop him, "Are you okay?" she asked him softly, truly concerned.

He laughed sardonically, "Sure, never been better." he shook his head furiously, "I never should've come. I should've expected something like this from him. Y'know, he thinks that if he keeps hammering me, I'll quit the team. But I won't." he added adamantly, "I'm not going to let him win."

She sighed, "Why does it even have to be about that? Look...I know Nathan can be a jerk-"

He scoffed, "**That's** an understatement."

"Just…just ignore him okay? So, he said something that was totally uncalled for..so what? Don't let him get to you. He doesn't know what the hell he's talking about anyways. He's just really trying to push your buttons because he's really threatened now that you're on the team..but-"she paused, knowing there really was no way to justify the things he said and did.

He ran his hand through his shaggy locks, "I really wish that it was just that, Haley. You know, it's just words. But, it's more than that...and I..well honestly? I don't know how much longer I can put up with it." he admitted.

"Lucas...." she said softly, her hand reaching out to squeeze his, unconsciously.

He swallowed and looked down at her hand in his, "Haley.." he spotted Felix at that moment, searching the room, looking for Haley he was sure, "I'll-I'll be fine. Really." he dropped her hand gently and nodded towards the other boy, quickly approaching them, "You should go." he said softly, "Before your date starts to get worried."

She turned around and spotted Felix, who was quickly approaching them. "No, it's not..." she turned back around and sighed, as she realized the tall blonde was already walking away. She shook her head sadly, turning around and pasting a fake smile on her face as Felix reached her.

* * *

"Okay…so our little plan is not exactly working." Felix commented as he caught sight of Rachel.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, look at her. She's been on that same drink for the last hour, and as much as I'm kindly offering to well basically be her personal bartender for the night…she's not budging. Not to mention, I don't think she has her phone on her tonight."

She shrugged, "Who cares?"

"What? Aren't you the one that practically threatened me into getting that phone?"

Her eyes twinkled mischievously, "I've got something better than that."

"Well, I'm glad it's working out for one of us." He muttered irritably, not really caring what she had up her sleeve, "She's ignoring me."

"Maybe that magic you bragged about is slowly fading." She smirked, "Or maybe, it was never there."

He glared at her, "Trust me, I've still got it." He shook his head, "No. It's like her mind's been somewhere else the entire night."

"Not where.." her mouth tilted up into an amused smile as her gaze caught the two blondes across the room, ""But rather with _who_."

His eyes shot in that direction, "What are you talking about?"

She rolled her eyes, "Are you seriously that dense? It's so freaking obvious."

He paused as he caught sight of Haley standing over by the stereo. She was sipping her drink and attempting to have a conversation with Bevin, but all the while she kept stealing glances at Lucas, who was doing the same, whenever she wasn't looking.

"Awww.." Rachel grinned, "That's so adorable." she said in mock enthusiasm, "The girl-next-door cheerleader and the basketball player from the wrong side of the tracks?" she laughed, "Makes sense, they can be boring together."

"Are you kidding me?" he shook his head furiously, "No way. You have an over-active imagination, Gattina. I mean, seriously, there's no way, she could ever possibly be interested in _that_ loser."

"Watch it there, Playboy…" she smirked, "You actually sound threatened**."** She peered at him curiously and laughed, "Wait…you're not going to pull some _Cruel Intentions_ bullshit and do something stupid like actually fall for the tutor are you?"

He scoffed, "Sorry, babe…but I don't do that."

"Good. Cause' I mean, seriously, that shit doesn't happen in real life."

"At least not in Tree Hill." He agreed.

* * *

"Hey there handsome…" Brooke grinned as she came up behind Jake and snaked her arms around his waist, "What'd you do? Special order that drink for me?" she teased, "It's been half-an hour."

He cleared his throat, feeling slightly dizzy at her simple contact, "Uh..sorry…long line." He offered weakly.

"I thought you forgot about me " she teased, disentangling herself from him and taking the drink from his hand, "But then I said to myself…forgetting Brooke Davis? Is there even such a thing?"

"Right." He laughed, "You're kinda hard to ignore Davis."

"Yeah…well tell that to my boyfriend will you?" she said lightly.

He furrowed his brow, "Trouble in paradise?"

"Trouble?" she nodded, "You could say that. Paradise? Well it's never exactly been that, now has it?"

He let out a breath as he regarded her carefully, "Why do you even stay with him?" he tried to keep his voice neutral, "I mean…do you ever think that maybe…I don't know, you deserve better? That maybe you were meant for someone else?"

She stared thoughtfully down at her cup, "I've…not really." She admitted, "I sort of always thought, well, hoped really, that this was it y'know?"

He furrowed his brow, "Why?"

"He makes me happy…" she shrugged, "When he's not being an insensitive jackass, of course." She smiled, "Anyways.." she said quickly changing the subject, "How's your little girl? I haven't seen her in forever.."

He smiled, "She's good. Getting bigger every day."

He could take the hint. He knew a Brooke Davis dodge when he saw one. And if she didn't want to talk about it any longer, then he wouldn't push her.

Her eyes lit up as the song switched on the stereo, "Oh! I love this song!" she grabbed his hand, "Dance with me please?" she begged.

He laughed and set his drink down on the nearest table, "Sure, though I've got to tell you…I'm not the best dancer. Or the most coordinated." He warned, as he let her pull him through the crowd.

"It's okay." She winked, " I guess I'll just have to teach ya." They reached the center of the dance floor and she took his hand and turned around in his arms, her back to him, moving his hands to rest on her hips.

He took in a visible deep breath and willed his heart to beat normally as she began to move in time to the sensual beat of the song.

She turned herself in his arms again, sliding her arms around his neck, "See?" she said softly, "You're not so bad."

He nodded and smiled as he looked down at her, not really trusting himself to speak right then. He didn't want to ruin the moment, by saying something he really didn't need to say. He just wanted to enjoy the moment, and the feel of her in his arms. Because who knew, if he would be lucky to get that chance ever again.

* * *

"So.." Nathan started as he spotted Peyton alone by the pier, "Are you ever going to tell me why you're so sad?"

She narrowed her eyes at him as he came to stand next to her, _"Excuse _me?"

He shrugged and leaned his back against the railing, taking a moment to enjoy the cool breeze, "There's an air of heaviness that surrounds you." he noted lightly, grinning down at her, "And I'm curious. What could a beautiful girl like yourself possibly have to be sad about?"

"I'm not sad." She scoffed, "I'm at a raging party, hanging with the cool kids now, y'know, the ones, that always get so trashed, beyond forgetting their own name. We're building precious memories here. Y'know, these are the moments that _matter_.." she continued, her voice dripping sarcasm, "The ones you look back and tell your kids about," she rolled her eyes, "Seriously, what could I possibly have to be sad about?"

He chuckled, "Didn't know you were so cryptic, Curly. It's actually kind of cute." He shook his head in amusement and took a swig of his drink, "_The lady doth protest too much, methinks_."

She paused mid-rant and stared at him, a little floored. Because…well..because honestly that was one of the last things she ever expected to hear come out of his mouth.

He laughed at her shocked expression, "What?" he scoffed, "You think Lucas is the only one who got the smart genes?" he shook his head, "I pay attention in class sometimes too you know."

She rolled her eyes, "So is that the kind of line you use to woo girls?"

"Well…" he started, his eyes twinkling, "_She is beautiful, and therefore to be woo'd. She is a woman, therefore to be won._" he quoted again, as he took a sip of his drink and grinned, "So why don't_ you_ tell me Curly, does Shakespeare really work on girls? Because if it doesn't then I guess I really won't need the book of a hundred sonnets will I?"

She let out an annoyed sigh, "Let's see..." she started, "He is a jackass..and therefore to be hated. He is a man, therefore to be ignored." She retorted sarcastically, brushing past him.

He laughed as he watched her walk away. Yeah, this girl was definitely something else.

* * *

"Whoa, easy there, Goldilocks, where are _you_ rushing off to?" Brooke opened the front door and stepped out, eyeing the blonde girl curiously.

"As far away as possible." She muttered under her breath, attempting to walk past her.

Brooke raised an eyebrow, "Wait, what? Who are-" she paused as she caught sight of Nathan, walking up behind Peyton. He touched her elbow lightly, handing her a drink, "You ran off pretty fast there, Curly." he winked, "Didn't think you scared that easy."

He met Brooke's angry gaze and let out a quiet laugh, "Well, hey there sweetheart..." he dropped a quick kiss on her cheek, "Where have you been hiding the whole night?" he cocked an eyebrow, "Or should I say with who?"

She glared at him as he walked away laughing, "Asshole.." she muttered under her breath. She turned her cold gaze to the blonde, "So listen..." she started, crossing her arms in front of her dangerously, "I don't know if you realize this or not, but you've been hanging with the wrong Scott brother all night."

"More like he's been hanging with the wrong cheerleader, don't you think?" She retorted lightly.

Brooke let out a small laugh, "Hmm…screwing one Scott boy at home and trying to score with the other at his party?" she raised an eyebrow, "Wow Goldilocks, even **I'm **impressed. Two brothers? Even Rachel hasn't managed to pull that one yet, and she **is** the school slut…" she let the comment hang in the air, waiting to see how the blonde would respond.

Peyton narrowed her eyes, "All right Brooke. " she snapped, "I've had it. I don't know what the hell your problem is or even where you get off, judging my relationship with Lucas…and not that it's any of your business, but he's _just_ my best friend and I swear if you don't shu-"

"Okay, _Whatever_." The brunette waved her hand, interrupting her, "I really could care less about what your deal with the bastard son is." she took a step closer to her, "But the one I _do_ care about? Well, here's a fair warning. Stay away from Nathan and we won't have any problems, _got it?"_ she smiled sweetly, though her eyes were all fire, "He's off limits."

"Why don't you tell _him _that?" she suggested calmly, "_He's _the one who obviously can't take the hint."

She rolled her eyes, "Sorry to break it to you sweetheart, but it's all just a game. And I know it by now. He's just trying to get back at me, so don't get your hopes up Goldilocks, because at the end of the night? He'll be coming right back to me. You'll see." She pushed past her and right back into the house, slamming the door shut with a loud _bang _in her face.

"Don't worry….I wouldn't dream of it." she muttered, picking up her drink and swiftly downing it's contents.

* * *

"Well hey there gorgeous." Rachel said huskily, sidling up to Nathan and wrapping an arm around his waist, "Have you been hiding from me?" she pouted.

He shrugged her off and looked down at her irritated, "What do you want Rachel?"

She winked up at him, "You know what I want." She said coyly, running her hand down his chest, "In fact, why don't you and me go upstairs and I can show you again?"

He pushed her away, "Look, Rachel, cut the crap okay? Tonight was good, great even. But it's not going to happen ever again. It was a onetime thing, so don't get your hopes up. I've got a girlfriend, and I plan to keep it that way."

"Well, that little detail certainly slipped your mind earlier, didn't it?" She snapped, crossing her arms in front of her.

He shrugged, unfazed, "Earlier, I was a little upset. And I just wanted to forget and feel good. And then, _you _showed up, offering that for me and…well honestly, how am I supposed to turn that away?"

"So you_ used_ me?"

"Whatever." He rolled his eyes, "You knew that." he laughed, "You didn't honestly think it actually meant something did you?" He placed a hand on her shoulder, noticing the angry glimmer in her eyes, "But, hey no need to get upset, your night's not totally ruined…I hear Vegas is available and always more than willing." He walked off, leaving the redhead steaming.

He really didn't care. At the moment he had better things to take care of. He spotted Jake and walked up behind him, "Hey Jagielski.." he clapped his hand on his shoulder, "Where you've been the whole night man? I feel like I haven't really seen you," he snapped his fingers, "Oh, wait. That's_ right_…that's because I _haven't_." he stared at him coldly, "You've been hanging with my girlfriend the entire night."

He sighed, "What do you want, Nathan?"

"More importantly what do y_ou_ want? No…wait, stupid question. Because that's more than obvious." he paused, "Now, what do _I _want? I want you to stay the hell away from my girl."

Jake took a deep breath, willing to stay calm, "We're friends Nathan." He stated, matter of factly, "And I thought _we _were too. Or did, you forget, that we all basically grew up together?" he shook his head, "And I'm not going to stay away from her and I'm sure definitely not going to stop talking to her just because_ you_ want me to. She's her own person man, and you don't have any claim over her."

"Friends?" he scoffed, "Please, Jagielski…you may want to fool yourself, but you're sure as hell not fooling me." he smirked, "I see the way you look at her. But don't get your hopes up man, because she's never going to look at you that way."

Jake shook his head, "Unbelievable." He muttered, "Y'know…one day she's going to realize, that she deserves much more, that she deserves someone better. "

He didn't miss a beat, "What, someone like you?" he laughed, "Get your head out of the clouds, Jagielski. I mean, what could_ you_ possibly offer her?" He took a sip of his drink and laughed, "What a joke. Sorry..but Brooke just doesn't strike me as the mommy type." He taunted, referring to Jake's daughter.

He narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists, "You know…" he started slowly, "A girl like her deserves to be treated with respect and love. Someone, who will listen to her and take care of her, instead, of ignoring her and messing on her with the next thing in a skirt, every time she gets a little upset with you." he pointed a finger at him, " You're going to realize that, but by then, it's going to be too late. Because you never truly know what you have until it's gone right?"

"Whatever, man. You don't know the first thing about me and Brooke and the way things are between us. So, save your little heart-felt speech, because at the end of the night? She'll be coming right back to me. You'll see." He noticed the curious stares they were receiving from everyone else, "Just walk away, man, and stay the hell away from Brooke. Because, trust me on this one….the last thing you want to do is get on my bad side." He smirked, before turning away, "And if you don't believe me…just ask Lucas."

* * *

After the semi-confrontation with Nathan, Jake walked around, not really knowing what to do with himself. He hadn't seen Brooke or Nathan, for that matter ever since. And he hated to admit it to himself, but he was kind of afraid of what that could mean. He shook his head, telling himself to get over it. She wasn't his to worry about, and he had no reason to feel upset. He sighed, if only he could truly believe that.

He spotted Peyton sitting by herself on the couch and he smiled as he plopped down next to her, "Hey, there."

She looked up and grinned, "Hey, back. Where have you been?"

He shrugged, "Oh…around." he looked back at her, "So, anyways…how's your first party as an official Raven's cheerleader been so far?"

She took a sip of her drink, "To say that it's been interesting would be an understatement."

He laughed, "Why, what happened?"

She shrugged, "Oh…y'know, it's not every day you get threatened by Brooke, 'to stay away from her man,'" she rolled her eyes.

His brow furrowed, "Would you believe me if I said, I've been there?"

The corners of her mouth tilted up in a smile,"What? She warned you to stay away from Nathan too? Whoa…I knew guys on the team bonded, but not to_ that_ extent." She teased.

"Ha-Ha" he pointed a finger at her, "You're funny."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it." he started, once she stopped laughing, "Me and you and everyone else? We're all just pawns, small chapters really, in the endless _Brathan _saga."

She nearly spit out her drink, "_Brathan?"_ she laughed.

He laughed with her, "Hey don't look at me, it wasn't _my _idea."

"Are they always like this?" she asked curiously.

He looked back at her, remembering that her and Lucas had gone to a different school, prior to freshman year. He took a sip of his drink and shrugged, "Yeah…it's almost normal for them. It's like they're little game, whenever, they're 'fighting' or 'cooling things off.' It never lasts, and once they prove their point, things go back to normal and they basically go back to ignoring the entire male and female population, respectively." He added, smiling slightly, "Well, at least until their next fight."

"Well..." she started, " Game's over I guess."

He turned in the direction she was pointing, his gaze falling on the brunette couple by the bottom of the stairs. Nathan had just approached Brooke from behind, and leaned in to whisper in her ear. She grinned slightly and turned around, grabbing his hand and leading him up the stairs. He sighed and shook his head, knowing that was coming anyway, but unable to keep the disappointment from seeping in.

"Apparently we're not the only pawns on the board who were played tonight." She laughed and pointed to Rachel who was watching the brunette couple angrily.

* * *

"Felix.." Haley tapped the tan boy on the shoulder, "Can you take me home already?"

He turned around and grinned, "So, soon Baby Girl?" he winked, "But, the party's just getting started…"

She turned her head away in disgust, the strong smell of tequila assaulting her senses, "You're drunk." She stated blankly. "You know what? Forget it. I'll find my own way home."

He reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist tightly, crashing her body into his, "Hmm.." he whispered in her ear, "Sure, you want to go home? That's fine..."his hot breath tickled her neck, "We can always continue the party at your house, right?" he chuckled, "Didn't think you had it in you, Doll.."

She struggled against his strong grasp, "Stop it." she demanded, "Felix.. I mean it! Let me go!"

He ignored her requests and pressed her body closer to his, "Oh, come off it, Haley. I know you're really not that much of a prude. The sweet, innocent act was hot at first, but how you drop it now huh? Because we can have so much fun together." he added suggestively, before bringing his lips down on hers in a rough kiss.

She pushed at his chest, and when he wouldn't budge, she brought her knee up and jabbed him deliberately in his lower area.

He groaned and pulled away from her in pain, "What the hell?" he demanded.

She glared at him, her eyes stinging with tears of humiliation and anger, "Screw you." she fumed, "Who the hell do you think you are? So, I agree to come to a party with you, and you just automatically assume, I"ll be coming home with you?!" she picked up the nearest cup and flung the liquid in his face, "Why, don't you cool off, you asshole!" she yelled, "You disgust me. And I swear if you ever come near me again, I'll do way more damage than what I did this time!" she gave him a hard shove, sending him crashing against the wall. He glared at her dissapearing form, as she stormed out of the living room, the laughter echoing in his ears. _This is far from over Haley. You're time will come. And I'm going to enjoy every single second of your humiliation. You'll see._

* * *

"So, you're not really attracted to Peyton?" Brooke asked breathlessly as she fiddled with the top of Nathan's jeans.

He kissed down her lobe, "Are you?"

She let out a breathy laugh as she lifted up his shirt, "Sorry, honey. But I don't swing that way." She joked, trailing light kisses down his chest.

He let out a shallow breath, "Y'know what I meant." He looked down back at her, "You're not attracted to Jagielsky." It came out as more than a statement than a question.

She pulled his shirt over his head swiftly, "Were you jealous?"

"Were you?" he repeated, his mouth working rapidly down her throat, his fingers fumbling with the straps of her dress.

"Yes..." she murmured, pressing her body into his just a little bit harder, her lips quickly finding his in a searing kiss.

"Good..." he murmured against her lips, as he turned her around and walked her towards the bed. He returned her kiss heatedly, desperately, as they both fell on top of the bed in a passionate pile of tangled limbs.

* * *

"Hiding from the world?"

Haley looked up from her spot over by the pier at Lucas and exhaled, "I guess you could say that."

"Are...are you okay?"

"No. Not really." she looked up at him questioningly, "Why are guys such jerks?"

"Guys?" he looked at her carefully, "Or Felix?"

"Does it really matter?"

"Hell yes." his brow furrowed, "Did he do something to you?"

"Y'know, he's exactly the kind of guy everyone makes him out to be." She let out a small laugh, "I don't even know why I'm even surprised."

"He did, didn't he?" he demanded, "Haley...did he try something with you?"

"He might have…" she admitted hesitantly, "But...don't." she added, seeing the anger flash in his eyes, "I'm okay. I took care of it." her mouth tilted up slightly in a smile, "Trust me, when I say, he's not going to be trying anything with me any time soon. He'll be lucky, if he can get up and walk tomorrow."

He chuckled, relaxing slightly, "Such a bad-ass.." he teased, "Well, I'm glad." he said, more seriously. "The guy's a jerk..and..it was just a one-time thing right?" he asked, trying to keep the hopeful tone out of his voice.

She nodded, "Definitely."

He smiled to himself, relieved with that knowledge, "Good." he said softly, "Haley.." he started a bit uncertain, "I..uh..I wanted to tell you that the other night…it wasn't what you think."

She looked back at him a little puzzled, "What are you talking about?"

He exhaled, "That night, of the movies? I didn't stand you up. I just wanted to let you know that." he shook his head, "I would never do that to you."

Her eyes met his and she cleared her throat, "Then why did you…I mean, what happened?"

He leaned his back against the railing, so that he was standing next to her, "Nathan." He stated simply.

"What?"

"Him and the other guys from the team…they came up behind me and well, as ridiculous as it sounds, they basically kidnapped me and took me to the swamp, just a little bit outside of town and just dumped me there."

She stared at him, her mouth dropping open in slight shock, "I can't even believe he would..I mean I guess I can, cause I know him..but…" she shook her head, "Lucas…I'm sorry."

"What? It wasn't your fault.."

She bit her lip, "Not..but I should've listened to you. I mean, you tried to explain it to me the next day and I just..brushed you off. I'm sorry."

He smiled, "It's okay. Really, it is. I could kind of see why you would think I stood you up…I just..really wanted to clear that up with you."

She nodded, "Thank you." she stared at him thoughtfully, "This is not the first time, he's done something like this is it?"

He shook his head in confirmation. "Are you really surprised though?"

She exhaled and shook her head, "Not really. He's-he's a good guy. Deep down. It's just...well, the situation is messed up y'know?" she cleared her throat, wondering if she was about to cross a line, "How did you..." she paused, a litle uncertain, "I mean, when did you know that-"

"That he was my father?" he finished for her, sensing her hesitation.

She let out a breath, "Yeah."

He stared out at the water thoughtfully, "Me and Nathan…we actually used to play in junior leagues together."

"And that's where you first saw Dan?"

He nodded, "Yeah, he was always there. But I didn't know at first." He let out a breath, "My mom didn't say anything at first because she knew that I loved the game…and that telling me something like that would ruin it for me. I mean I was _good_ at it." he paused as he regarded her, "You ever have something that you knew that you were better at than almost anybody else?"

She rested her elbows on the railing, "I might." She said softly, thinking of her music.

He looked at her curiously, "Well…anyway..the other kids kept on teasing me about it, about how Nathan's dad was my dad, too. So I asked my mom one day, and she said that he wasn't. But I got home, and I heard her crying in her room. And that's when I knew it was true. So I never went back. I told my mom it was because I didn't want to have to see his face. But... It was mostly because... I didn't want her to have to."

"Wow.." she stated quietly, "That's…I mean, that must have been hard on you and your mom…and with you on the team now, having to face all that all over again…" she smiled, "You're really brave Lucas Scott."

"I don't _feel_ brave," he admitted, "I mean, I thought I was going to be okay..but now being on the team?I'm not so sure."

She nodded, "Nathan…" she said knowingly.

"Yeah" he sighed, "He's not going to back off. Him or the other guys. He controls the team..and just…there's just no way in hell he's going to back off."

She bit her lip as she stared out at the water thoughtfully, "He will." She said to herself quietly.

"What?"

She turned back to smile at him, reassuringly, "Things are going to get better for you Lucas. You wait and see. Nathan…he's going to come around..and he'll leave you alone, I'm sure of that." She replied, a quiet determination in her voice.

His brow furrowed, "How can you be so sure?"

_Because…_she thought, _I know just the way to get him to back off…_She shook her head to clear her thoughts, "Never mind. Do you want to go back inside?"

He shook his head and smiled, his hand moving slowly to interwine with hers, "I-I kind of like being out here with you."

She looked up at him, her heart beating just a little bit faster, "Yeah..."she said softly, "I kinda like it too."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N Hey guys I'm sorry for the late update…Cabot007 I'm sorry I know I said both 13 and 14 were going to be up Saturday but I didn't expect the busy week I had. Anyways, Thank you guys sooo much for the reviews. Seriously. It's what keeps me motivated to keep writing. Special thanks to those that have reviewed for the first time. I know most of you are dying to see what's going to happen once Brooke finds out about Nathan & Rachel, but I just wanted a bit of Brathan fluff, before the shit hits the fan so to speak, and because well I just love these two! Minor detail...I have absolutely no clue abut Country Clubs or Charity Balls.**

Early the next morning Haley stood right outside the front door of Nathan's family beach house. She hesitated for just a second to gather her bearings. She still wasn't too sure about this, and she wondered for just a second if she was in fact doing the right thing.

She took a deep breath and opened the door, as she let herself in. She had made up her mind, and she wasn't going to back out now. She ignored the obvious mess in the spacious living room, stepping over empty cups and beer bottles strewn all over the floor. "Nathan?" she called out, making her way towards the stairs.

Hearing no response, she walked up the stairs figuring the boy was probably still sleeping off his hangover.

"Nathan?" she called out again, rapping on the bedroom door she knew he always crashed in.

The door swung open and Nathan appeared shirtless, squinting at her through sleepy eyes, "Haley?"

"Hey…" she started nervously, "I know you're probably wondering why I'm here so early…but, I really need to talk to you."

He grinned at her slightly, "And it couldn't wait till school tomorrow?"

"No, it can't." she motioned towards the door, "Well? Are you going to let me in or what?"

"Actually…" he trailed off, glancing over his shoulder.

"Let me guess…Brooke?"

He grinned and opened the door wider, allowing her to step inside, "It's cool. She just jumped in the shower." He walked over to the foot of the bed and plopped down, "So what's going on?"

"Um…well.." she paused, "Okay, can you _please _put on a shirt?"

He grinned lazily, "What?" he teased, "Too much for you?"

She rolled her eyes, "I'm sorry, but I just really don't want to have to wonder as to why Brooke's in the shower and _you're_ shirtless…so can you please just do it?"

"We're a little grouchy this morning aren't we?" he asked her amused, "Rough night?" he retrieved the black t-shirt he'd discarded sometime last night and pulled it on, "Ohhh…" he nodded knowingly, "I know what this is about."

She looked at him in surprise, "You do?"

"Sure. Listen, Haley I heard what Felix did to you last night." He shook his head, "Fucking punk. You all right?" he glanced over at her, truly seeming interested in her response.

"Yeah..that was.." she cleared her throat, "He's a jerk. And I knew that, but I still…y'know what? It doesn't matter."

"Hell yeah it does." he scoffed, "Don't worry, Hales. I've got you covered. I'll have a little_ talk_ with that punk at school tomorrow."

She hesitated for a second as she stared at him, knowing full well that he would follow through on that threat. She swallowed and she felt her resolve wavering slightly. He obviously was standing up for her and here she was about to…she wondered for the second time that morning if she was doing the right thing. Or if it was even in her place to do so.

"Nathan…I appreciate you looking out for me. I really do." She shook her head, "But it's not necessary. Really." She paused, running her teeth over her bottom lip nervously, "That's actually not the reason for my impromptu visit."

"Okay…"

She took a deep breath, deciding to just get to the point before she lost her nerve, "Lay off Lucas." She said quickly, but firmly.

He laughed, "Yeah. _Okay_."

She sighed, "I'm not kidding. Yesterday you were completely out of line and you know it."

He stared back at her incredulous, "What? It was just a fucking joke! I swear, that punk is way too damn sensitive."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't funny." She retorted, "And it's way more than just that. I'm talking about the other underhanded things you've done to him. Like trashing his locker, the river court…_kidnapping _him…Don't you think you've taken this rivalry a little too far?"

"And what are you? His damn body guard?" he rolled his eyes, "The little punk can't even fight his own battles can he?"

She ignored the dangerous tone to his voice, standing her ground, "How can you be so cold? For God's sake Nathan he's your-"

"Don't fucking say it!" he shook his head angrily, "When the hell did this happen? When did _you _start standing up for the bastard? I wasn't aware the two of you were even friends." he paused as a look of sheer realization crossed his features, "Wait.." he laughed, "What. The. Hell….You_ like_ this punk don't you?"

She blushed, "What?" she shook her head, "No..it..look does it even matter? What you're doing is wrong and you know it."

He looked back at her in utter disbelief, "This is unbelievable. You_ do_, don't you?" he shook his head and let out a sound of disgust, "What could you possibly see in that loser?" he demanded.

She chose to ignore his last remark, "I mean it Nathan. " she said firmly. "Leave him alone."

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her through narrowed eyes, "And if I don't?"

"If you don't…" she took a deep breath, "Then I'm going to tell Brooke all about your little tryst with Rachel." She said slowly.

His mouth dropped open slightly and he stared at her in complete awe. He _seriously _wasn't hearing this right now, "She'll never believe you." was the quick automatic reply.

"Why would she ever doubt her best friend?"

"Why would she ever doubt her boyfriend?" he shot back.

"Oh, I don't know…maybe because you haven't exactly been the perfect boyfriend. Wouldn't be too hard to believe!" she retorted. She paused, her eyes boring into his, "Besides, I have hard evidence. I never deleted the picture from my phone. I forgot."

He scoffed, "Yeah, I'm _sure _you did. Besides...you wouldn't dare."

She sighed, "Nathan, please don't. … look I didn't want it to have to come to this. But you leave me no choice."

"_I_ leave you no choice?!" he stood up from the bed and stood directly in front of her, "You know…you have a lot of fucking nerve Haley. Coming to my house and threatening me with this shit." He replied angrily, "What? This punk means _that_ much to you?"

She stared back up at him, refusing to let his dangerous tone get to her, "Nathan…" she said calmly, "This has nothing to do with that."

He scoffed, "Yes, it fucking does! Because, you haven't exactly denied any of it. I can't believe this. You're turning your back on me to help that_ bastard_?" he spat, "How long have you known him huh? And how long have you known _me_? You really going to turn your back on that for someone you barely know?"

"I'm not turning my back on you!"

"Well, what else do you call it huh?"

"He's my friend!" she threw up her hands exasperated, "And you're my friend too and as your friend I hate to see you-"

"Bullshit." he spat, "I have a hard fucking time believing that right now."

"I'm not choosing sides Nathan…" she said a little more softly now, "I just hate to see you be so cruel towards your own brother."

He slammed his fist down on the dresser besides him, "I told you not to call him that!" his eyes flashed furiously. "Believe what you want Haley, but it doesn't change the fact that you're a fucking traitor!"

"What's going on?!"

They both swiveled around startled to find Brooke staring at them at a complete loss. She had no idea what was going on. She had emerged from the restroom after a long hot shower, only to find her best friend and boyfriend looking like they were about to rip each other's head off.

"What's going on?" she repeated, walking over to stand in front of them , "What are you doing here Tutor girl? And what the hell were you two arguing about?"

"_**Nothing**_**."** Nathan said caustically, turning his cold, angry glare back towards the blonde, "_Haley_, was just leaving."

"No. Uh-uh." Brooke looked between them, "Not until you two tell me what's going on."

"Actually, Brooke…" she darted a quick glance at Nathan, "I came here to see _you_. See, there's something I wanted to-"

"Look, Felix pulled some crap on her yesterday." Nathan cut her off quickly, making his mind up on the spot. At the moment, he had no choice really. "But I got it covered. " he said turning back to the blonde, his eyes shooting her a meaningful look, "I'll make _sure_, he doesn't _bother _you anymore. I'll deal with him…_okay_?"

She nodded in silent understanding and she shot Brooke a quick smile, "I'm sorry…I was just really upset and I wanted to talk to you…and.." she turned back towards the tall brunette, "I'm okay now…and thanks again." she gave his arm a reassuring squeeze.

He shrugged her off subtly and looked away, afraid if he looked at her a second too longer, he would lose it in front of Brooke.

Haley sighed and turned back to Brooke, "I'll call you later okay?"

"Yeah…sure." She gave her a quick hug, not really sure just what had transpired between the two.

Brooke turned her curious glance to her boyfriend once Haley left, "Superstar? You okay? You still seem really put off."

He sat back down on the bed, "Well, what can I say? Felix is a jerk." He replied indifferently.

She smiled and stepped in between his legs, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck. "Well, _I _think it's really sweet, the way you're standing up for Haley." She leaned down to kiss him quickly, "Have I ever told you that you're the best boyfriend ever? And a good friend too." She played with the hairs at the nape of his neck, grinning down at him lovingly.

He flinched involuntarily and took a deep breath, brushing off the slight pang of guilt her words caused. Because if she _really_ knew what he and Haley had been talking about…

He pushed it to the back of his mind as he secured his left arm around her waist, his right one reaching out to entangle in her freshly washed hair, "Babe…" he murmured, "Let's go outside for a swim okay?"

She pouted, "But I just took a shower…" she leaned down and brushed her lips over his sensually, settling herself in his lap, "Okay, fine you win."

* * *

"Nathan!" Brooke squealed with laughter as he scooped her up easily in his arms and ran towards the water's edge. "I swear if you ruin my Jax Couture, I'm going to kill you!" she struggled against him, but she really wasn't trying.

He laughed as he reached the water and glanced down at her mischievously when he was in waist deep, "Looks like you're going in for a swim after all Babe."

"Nathan!" she was cut off as a wave rolled in and knocked them off balance. They both tumbled down into the water and a few seconds later they resurfaced.

"You jerk!" she sputtered, sending a huge splash his way.

He laughed and waded over to her. He stood in front of her and pushed the wet strands of hair out of her face, "You look like a sea princess…" he grinned, tugging at the wet Caribbean print sundress that now clinged to her body. He leaned down and kissed her.

She grinned against his lips and entangled her arms around his neck. His lips were wet and salty and just felt so, so good.

They stood there for several minutes, kissing while the waves crashed around them. After a while, he relunctantly pulled away from her and threaded his fingers through hers, "Let's go dry you off sea princess…" he teased, "We don't want you to melt."

"Well, who's fault would that be?" she pouted as they reached their towels a couple of yards away.

She stripped off her wet sundress, revealing her brand new Emilio Pucci two piece. She squeezed the water out of her hair and sat back down next to him.

They were quiet for several minutes as they each lay there, enjoying the sun and the fresh breeze.

"Nathan…" she began conversationally, "The Annual Commissioners Charity Ball is coming up…"

He groaned as he opened his eyes to look over at her, "Do you have to remind me? My mom's been bugging me about that for weeks."

She shot him a confused look, "I thought your mom was off in one of her business trips."

"That doesn't mean, she can't harass me over the phone with it. Besides, who do you think is behind the whole thing?" he grumbled. "God, those things are so stupid. I mean, I get the whole principle of the thing, but…" he shrugged, "What's it about this year anyway?"

She shrugged, "Something about the junior leagues, I don't know. I really wasn't paying attention when Victoria was rambling about it the other day."

He held back a laugh at her insistence to call her mother by her first name, "Well…hey" he leaned up on his elbow as his hand reached out to caress her cheek, "I know there's no getting out of it, but at least we'll have each other to make it less sufferable right?"

She played with his short locks affectionately as she smiled at him softly, a memorey coming back to her just then, "Do you remember the Crystal Charity Ball for Diabetes freshmean year?"

"How could I forget?" he stared off into the water, a grin playing across his lips, "That's when we first became _us_."

**Flashback**

_Dressed to kill in a tailored champagne colored Cordell Couture, 15-year old Brooke Davis trekked down the lush green grounds of the Tree Hill Country Club. She spotted the small gazebo a few yards away and walked over to it, as fast as her Louboutin's would carry her._

_Once inside she sat down in one of the long wooden benches and exhaled as she took a swig of the expensive bottle of wine she had taken upon herself to snag on the way out of the elegant main ballroom. She was sick and tired of having to smile and nod and pretend to know what the hell they were all talking about. Or pretend to care about why they were even there._

_It's not like any of them did anyway. It wasn't about helping the needy or raising profit for just causes. No, she knew it wasn't about that at all. It was about flaunting your money and your status. And how it was their obligation as the elite and fortunate of Tree Hill to give back to the community, because they were all just sooo grateful for what they had. Please. What a bunch of hypocrites. She knew better. She really could care less about any of these causes. She just wanted to go and hang out with her best friend Haley. Convince her to sneak into her mother's secret alcohol stash. Or something equally crazy. Hell, anything was better than this._

_At least she was honest._

_Besides, the only good thing that ever came out of these events was the fact that her parents always lavished her with designer gowns and shoes that she herself got to pick out. After all, she was the daughter of Richard and Victoria Davis. One of Tree Hill's top socialites. She had to look the part._

"_Well if it isn't my sweet little date having her own private party, care if I crash it?"_

_She looked up and found Nathan Scott smirking at her. She had been so lost in her thoughts, she hadn't even heard him approaching._

"_Well, it isn't so private anymore is it?" she retorted bringing the bottle up to her lips and taking a long swig._

_He let out a whistle as he looked down at the bottle she cradled with both hands, "__**Château Lafitte…"**__ he nodded, "I'm impressed Davis. Didn't think you had it in you."_

"_Maybe there's a lot of things you didn't know I had in me Scott."_

"_Ooohh…" he grinned, "That sounds kinky."_

"_Whatever." She passed the bottle over to him as he draped himself next to her. "What brings you out here?"_

_He tilted his head back slightly as he guzzled down the sweet wine, "Probably for the same reasons you are."_

_She nodded, taking back the bottle from his hands, "So you got tired of walking around with a fake smile and pretending to actually give a damn about this too?"_

"_It's not so bad. There's just better things I'd rather be doing."_

"_Like Taylor James?" she asked innocently._

_He shot her a smug grin, "I see you keep yourself up to date with my life."_

"_It's hard not to. Tree Hill High is not that big. And you my dear, are this week's top story." She peered at him through curious eyes, "So, tell me..how did little __**freshman**__ Nathan Scott, get the most popular senior to do the deed with him?"_

"_Please." He scoffed, "Those days are over. I'm not so little anymore." He slung an arm around the back of the bench casually, "Do you really want me to tell you how I snagged Taylor? Or would you rather I show you?" he asked in an enticing tone._

_She ignored the slight shiver that ran up her spine and smirked at him, "Please. Old tricks." She giggled, "Y'know, Haley was totally freaking out when she found out."_

"_Oh really?" he smirked, "I always knew she wanted me."_

_She rolled her eyes and took back the bottle from him. They had been passing it back and forth like a hot potato by now and it was her turn. "You wish. More like she couldn't believe that the Nathan Scott __**she **__grew up with is now banging her sister. Her much __**older**__ sister, no less. I mean, Cougar much?"_

"_Jealous." he teased._

"_Insanely." She smiled sweetly. "Besides, you and Taylor? It's just temporary. Because everyone knows you and I are going to be ruling Tree Hill High next year. Together." She added, with a faint lilt to her voice._

"_Oh really?" he asked her in an amused tone_

"_Of course." She smiled up at him, "Why do you think our parents are always so insistent we attend these events together? Even they can see it. Sorry, Boy toy. But it's inevitable."_

"_Boy toy?" he smirked, "Okay. I'm totally liking where this is going. I can get down with that."_

"_You would." she retorted lightly, "But seriously. You and me could make the entire world jealous." her eyes sparkled, "Well, at least all of Tree Hill High."_

"_Are you trying to convince me? Because you're doing a pretty good job so far."_

_"So easy." she giggled and took another long swig of the sweet wine as she stared up a him, "Nathan…" she started after a moment, "What happened to us?"_

"_You're bringing us down already? Damn. And here you were a couple of minutes ago ranting about how we were written in the stars and all that. Way to have a change of heart Davis." he joked._

_She giggled and hit him lightly on the shoulder, "Dumb ass. I just meant in general. Me, you, Haley and Jake…we've known each other forever. And up until this year, the four of us were pretty much inseparable. Then you joined the basketball team…Jake got that psycho of a bitch girlfriend..and Haley..well Haley's always been Haley. Submerged in school or books and all that. This year...we just drifted, I mean do you even still talk to Jake?"_

"_We're on two different teams, Davis. And I don't just mean I'm on Varsity and he's on J.V, he's just…changed. I guess Nikki really had an effect on him huh?"_

"_Yeah.." she replied softly, her expression melancholy all of a sudden. "Do you remember that little game we always used to play when we were little?"she turned back to him, a reminiscent smile on her lips, "Castle Princess? Me and Haley always tried to get you and Jake to play. But of course, you would absolutely refuse and Jake would always agree."_

_He laughed, "Jagielski was such a wuss. So whipped. Always doing exactly what you and Haley wanted him to do."_

_She laughed with him, "Well he __**would**__. Until you started in on him. Teasing him and telling him that __**girls**__ played castle and __**boys**__ played basketball."_

"_Well it worked didn't it? And it always got me out of playing that ridiculous game with you and Haley."_

"_I think you were just jealous." She smiled at him wickedly, "Because I always chose Jake to be my prince."_

"_Yeah. That had to be it." he replied dryly, "Because, I mean seriously who would want to get stuck with Haley as their princess?" he shook his head as he took a huge gulp of the expensive drink, "Why so nostalgic all of a sudden Davis?"_

"_Thinking of easier times I guess.." she shrugged, "Eh. It's probably just the alcohol."_

"_Y'know…talking about the effects of alcohol…" he started, scooting closer to her, "You're looking extremely sexy right now."_

_She gave him a light shove, "Excuse me?" she stared at him haughtily, "But I'll have you know, It's not the alcohol. It's all me, Baby." She fingered the silky material, "You're just now seeing me at my best."_

"_That dress does look good on you, darling." He grinned cockily, "But you know what would look better on you? Me."_

_She rolled her eyes, "That was such a line, Nate." _

"_Maybe…" he nodded as his hand trailed down her arm and his hand came in contact with her, "But you know what's not a line? You're beautiful. And I can't believe I'm just now realizing it. That, and I totally want to kiss you right now." He muttered huskily, gazing down at her._

_She met his intense gaze evenly, and for just a second, her breath caught in her throat as she stared up at him,his handsome features silhouetted against the twinkling lights hanging from the gazebo._

_Maybe it was the amount of alcohol she had already consumed. Or maybe it was sitting here with him reminiscing about old times. Or maybe it was just him. But she was suddenly consumed with a strong urge to kiss him. It came out of nowhere. But it was positively overwhelming._

_She toyed with the collar of his __**Geoffrey Beene**__ tuxedo and she licked her lips subtly, her gaze falling on his lips. She moved in, giving into this sudden urge to feel his lips on hers and their lips met in a tentative but lingering kiss._

_She felt a slight flutter in her stomach as she opened her eyes and stared up at him, "Nathan?" she asked a little uncertain._

_The corners of his mouth tilted up into a slight smirk and he shook his head slightly, as if to silence her. He lowered his mouths to her again in a searing second kiss that left no doubt or room for questions. Satisfied, she curved her arms around his neck and pressed her body closer to his as she kissed him back fervently._

_**End flashback**_

"You kissed me first." He smirked as he basked in the memory.

"What? Please, you were hitting on me first._ I_ just took initiative."

"That you did." He teased, "I mean, damn Davis. That was quite a kiss. Sure, I heard the rumors..but experiencing it firsthand is a totally different deal."

She slapped his arm playfully, "Ha-Ha. Whatever. You better thank your lucky stars then. I decided to settle on _you_. "

He laughed, "Every day, Babe. Every day. Now c'mon.." he pulled her up by the hand and pulled her up. She ran after him, laughing as they reached the shoreline. They ran around carefree, splashing and frolicking in the waves. When he pulled her into his arms for a long kiss, the two of them standing waist deep in the ocean, he whispered in her ear very softly , "You and Me, Babe. It's going to be forever."

Standing there, in his arms, with the sun lazily sinking in the ocean and his sweet promise of love....she couldn't remember ever feeling so happy..and so in love.

* * *

"Haley! Wait up!" Felix rapidly made his way across the parking lot, having just spotted the blonde.

She haltered slightly but quickened her step once she saw who it was.

"Haley!" he catched up with her, slightly out of breath, "Damn, shorty. For a small girl, you can certainly walk fast."

"What the hell do you want Felix?" she snapped, "I have nothing to say to you."

"But _I_ do." he reached out a hand to touch her shoulder lightly, "Haley...I'm really sorry. I know I was way out of line but I was totally drunk off my ass and I know that's no excuse but-"

"Save it!" she replied, her eyes flashing, "I don't want to hear it. Y'know, I can't _believe_ you even have the nerve to come up to me and try to redeem yourself! I said all I had to say to you at the party and now if you'll excuse me, I'm done wasting my time with you. I've got a class to go to." she brushed past him but he pulled her back, his hand firmly grasping her arm.

"Haley.." he said in an almost pleading tone, "Please...just hear me out okay?"

She shook off his grasp, "I don't have to. And most importantly, I don't _want_ to. Felix, I mean it! Leave me the hell alone!"

"Is everything okay?" Lucas walked up behind them, noticing the obvious tension between the two. He shot a questioning look Haley's way, "You okay?" he asked, lightly placing his hand over on her forearm.

"Yes." she said quickly. "Everything's good. Felix was just leaving." she glared over meaningfully at the spike haired boy.

"Haley, we're not done here." he shook his head at her firmly.

"Hey, I believe she just told you to leave." Lucas interjected, trying to keep his obvious annoyance under control.

"Why don't you mind your own damn business?!" he snapped, starting to get aggravated, "This is between Haley and me."

Lucas returned his angry glare evenly, "Well, she made it pretty clear she doesn't want to talk to you." he replied coldly, "Take the hint and just walk away man."

"Who the hell are you?" he scoffed, "Her damn bodyguard?"

"No. But I'm someone who cares about her. And someone who's going to break your face in if you come near her again." he snapped, having had enough.

He laughed, "Easy there Tiger." he warned, "Don't get too protective over the girl. Or too attached. All cheerleaders are the same, man. They quickly move on to the next thing. But hey, you won't be missing out on much man. Wish I'd gotten a guarantee on_ that_ package."

Lucas gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, "You fucking wish." he spat, stepping dangerously close to the other boy, "Haley's got way too much class and self-respect to ever get involved with scum like you."

Haley looked nervously between the two. She had been quiet, watching in slight disbelief at the argument escalating between the two boys, but knew she had to step in and quickly. Because Lucas looked like he was dangerously close to landing the first punch. She grabbed his hand and tugged on it, "Lucas, c'mon. I appreciate you helping me out. But forget this jackass." she shot a look of pure fire his way, "Believe me. He's not worth it."

"I could've said the same thing about you sweetheart!" he called out as the two blondes started to retreat. "You're obviously in need of tutoring yourself Doll! Anytime you want any lessons in how to _please_ someone, you know where to find me!"

Lucas stopped abruptly and removed himself from Haley's hold. He strode back to Felix, his eyes flashing in anger, "You better watch what you say. At least around me. I'm not fucking kidding."

"Oh yeah?" he taunted, smirking, "And what are _you_ going to do if I don't?"

His fist reached out to connect with his nose and Felix stumbled backward.

"I warned you."

Haley gasped and stared at him horrified. "Lucas!" She glanced around furtively, thanking her lucky stars that the parking lot was slightly deserted and void of staff members. She grabbed his arm more firmly this time, "We're leaving!" she hissed, pulling him away hurriedly. As far away from the tan boy, before he had a chance to react and before a fight _really_ broke out

Felix stared after the two blondes retreating and clutched his nose. "Fuck!" he winced.

He heard laughter behind him and he turned around to find Rachel shaking her head in amusement, "Wow. Did I just see Lucas Scott hammer one to _you_?"

"That was a cheap shot. I didn't see it coming." he said defensively. What was it with the redhead? That bitch had the knack for arriving at the worst times.

"Whatever you need to believe." she smirked, "But I told you so. I was totally right about those two. I mean, why else would the loser punch you? It's actually kind of sweet if you think about it. The knight in shining armor coming to the rescue to his damsel in distress. Y'know this is a total repeat of last year. Different Scott. Different cheerleader. Same scenerio. Who knew? The Scott brothers are more alike than they think. Always standing up for their girl."

"Would you shut up for once?" he rolled his eyes, thoroughly annoyed. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"Well, I do know one thing." she said sweetly, "The little bastard son totally just one-upped you."

A flash of red hair whizzed past him as she bounced off laughing hysterically.

"Yeah, we'll see about that." he muttered darkly. He'd be damned if he let that loser win this one over him. This was not over. In, fact it was just beginning. This was war.

* * *

It was right after her second class that Peyton had her free period. She loved that time of day. It was late enough to be sunny and warm, but still early enough for the breeze to be fresh and crisp and just right. It was then that she always felt more awake and inspired than at any other time during the day. She walked over to her favorite spot by the quad, slightly secluded and out of view, but just perfect for her.

She sat down and opened her trademark sketchbook and flipped it to a spot she had been working on yesterday. She had started this after a phone call from her Dad. She couldn't believe he was really going to be gone for an entire month. Again.

She sighed and pushed her curls out of her face as she pulled out her favorite pencil and began to work on it idly, the pencil marking rapidly over the fresh page. She was so lost in her thoughts and in the blurs on her paper, she failed to notice the figure walking over to her. Until a shadow fell over her sketch and she looked up, an automatic sound of annoyance falling from her lips, "Just when my morning was going good...along had to come the likes of _you."_

Nathan laughed and he plopped down across from her, much to her dismay. He motioned to her sketch and grinned, "Wow. That's some talent you've got there Curly. You're just full of surprises aren't you?" he teased.

"Y'know there's a reason I spend my free period out here." she glared at him. "_Alone._ Y'know that way I don't bother anyone. Nobody bothers me. Get the idea?"

"Is that your subtle way of telling me you want me to leave?" he grinned.

"Well, at least you're not as dumb as you look." she replied dryly.

"Hey, I resent that."

She rolled her eyes and tilted her head at him. "What do you want?"

"To talk to you."

"Well, _I _don't want to talk to _you_. In fact I think I made that pretty clear last time."

"Why? Because of your little boyfriend?"

She chose to ignore that. "No. Because you're an immature, arrogant jackass."

He didn't even seem offended and he grinned. "I don't think I've ever been described so uh, colorfully." he shrugged. "Hey, it's cool. You're entitled to your own opinion, or to Dawson's opinion of me."

"First of all, you've done a really good job of proving that and second of all..Dawson?"

"Yeah, you know...shaggy blonde, dorky, best friends with a hot girl, who's too sarcastic for her own good." he grinned slyly, "And totally oblivious to the fact that she's secretly got a thing for him."

"Excuse me? But I _don't_ have a thing for Lucas. Not that it's any of your business."

"Right. What was I thinking? Besides..." he added, a twinkle in his blue eyes, "You two don't go together at all. He's not your type."

"Sure." she rolled her eyes, "Because you know exactly my type."

"I know exactly who _isn't_ your type."

"Yeah, you."

He laughed, "We'll see about that Babe."

She glared at him, "Don't you have someone else to go annoy the hell out of? Like, oh I don't know…your girlfriend?"

"And deprive you of quality one-on-one time with yours truly?" he leaned across the table and tugged at one of her curls, "You know most girls would consider themselves lucky right about now."

She swatted his hand away and rolled her eyes, "God, you're so full of yourself. I'm surprised you haven't started your own personal fan club." She retorted sarcastically.

"Oh, you haven't heard? The Hotshot 23 Fan Club just opened it's membership."he winked at her, "And guess who's the president?"

She let out an exasperated sigh and glared at him, "Is there even a point to this little dialogue we've got going here?"

"You mean other than to annoy the hell out of you?" he shrugged innocently, "Not really. You're just really cute when you're pretending to be annoyed by my presence."

"And _you_ are not."

He looked at her, feigning a look of shock, "What are you saying? I guess tall, dark and handsome isn't your type huh?" he teased.

"I think you mean tall, dark and obnoxious."

"You really like to lay it thick with the sarcasm don't you?" he asked her in an amused tone.

"Me? Sarcastic? No. Of course not." she blinked up at him innocently, "I'm far too blonde to completely grasp the subtleties of mockery."

"Well, aren't we just a ray of sunshine?"

"Speaking off..you're blocking mine. So, why don't you hit the road Jack?" she suggested, turning her attention back to her sketch.

He shook his head and laughed, "I take it back. You're even cuter when you're trying to be infuriating." he stood up and he gave her his infamous grin. "I'll see you around Sawyer."

"Not if I can help it." she retorted, focusing back on her drawing.

"Hey Sawyer!" when she looked up, he grinned and pointed to her drawing. "Your Dad will come back, you'll see." he winked at her and slung his backpack over his shoulder. "He'd be crazy not to."

Her eyes shot up to meet his and she glanced down at the bold letters sketched over a large sailboat pulling away from the Marina..._**HE NEVER COMES BACK. **_She looked back up at the retreating form of the basketball player, a surprised smile tugging at her lips.

* * *

"Okay, during the American Revolution, what system was used by the colonists to send messages to each other?"

"Hmmm..." Brandon looked at Haley thoughtfully, "Committees of Correspondence?"

"Are you asking me or telling me?" she teased, her brown eyes sparkling.

He laughed, "Telling you."

She nodded, "Well you're right. Okay, let's see...." she looked down at her notebook, "What French military officer served with General Washington?"

"Easy. Marquis de Lavayet. Wait, did I even say that right?"

She grinned, "Good thing, this test is not oral huh? It's Lafayette. But good! You're remembering all this...okay, last one, What was the location of the series of battles that became the turning point for the Revolutionary War?"

He scrunched up his nose as he searched his mind for the correct answer, "Uhh...Charleston? No. Wait....I got it! Yorktown!"

She bit her lip and winced playfully, "Actually. It was Saratoga. The colonists won these battles and it proved that the American army could defeat the British. It also encouraged the other European countries to consider helping America in the Revolution." she noticed his face fall slightly and she smiled at him, giving his arm a reassuring squeeze, "Hey. You did great though! That was the only one you missed. Impressive. You're going to ace this test Brandon."

His face brightened and he grinned back at her, "I did didn't I?" he asked proudly. He picked up his books and stuffed them in his backpack as he stood up, "Thanks, Haley. I'll catch up with you later okay? I'm off to my next class. Wish me luck on that test!"

"You won't need it!" she called out, smiling to herself as he retreated out of the tutoring center. She smiled and looked at her own work contentedly. She always felt such accomplishment whenever she was with one of her 'students' as she liked to think of them. There was something about watching them get it. Seeing it click in their mind, that filled her with a sense of fullfillment and pride that she couldn't explain. She never got that feeling anywhere else.

A knock outside the door snapped her out of her reverie and she looked up, smiling as Lucas poked his head in, "Hey, you can come in. Brandon and I just finished."

He nodded and stepped inside, dropping his book bag on the table and sitting across from her, "How'd it go?"

She smiled, "Great actually. He's got a major test next period. He's a little nervous, but I really think he's going to ace it."

He smiled, "Well, he's got a great teacher." he said honestly.

She felt a small blush creep up her cheeks. It wasn't like they didn't tell her that all the time, but coming from Lucas, well it just sounded really nice for some reason. Like he truly believed it and wanted her to believe it too.

She smirked at him slightly, "How's your hand?" she teased.

He looked at her sheepishly, "I'm sorry, but he had it coming, and he wouldn't shut up and I really-"

"Hey, it's okay. Really. To be honest, I've been wanting to do that myself since Saturday, but you beat me to it." she joked. She reached across the table and grasped his free hand, "Look, I'm not normally one to condone violence, in fact I think it's the worst possible way to deal with any situation..but well..no one's ever done that for me before. Stood up for me like that." she admitted, "And if I didn't say it this morning, thank you."

He blushed slightly and his hand felt warm underneath hers. He tried to cover his nervousness with a laugh, "Well, you're welcome. I was afraid you weren't going to talk to me ever again. This morning you looked like you wanted to take your own swing at me."

She laughed, "Sorry. That little encounter with Felix just made the horrible morning I was already having even worse. First, when I woke up this morning, I literally tumbled out of bed, into the night dresser no less. Then I couldn't find my homework from last night. I totally spilled juice all over a new shirt and on the way to school I totally got attacked by a flock of crows! And-"

"A murder."

She paused, "What?"

"More than one is a murder."

"O-okay." She gave him a puzzled look. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

He shrugged and smiled, "No one ever does. It's like y'know, a parliament of owls, an exultation of larks, a murder of crows..."

She nodded, catching on. "So….What are ravens?"

He raised an eyebrow, "An unkindness."

"Ah…" she nods towards his gym bag, "Kind of appropriate given the circumstances don't you think?" she pauses, "How's that going by the way?"

"As expected." he turned and stared out the classroom window thoughtfully, "Y'know..." he started slowly, "I've never walked away from anything before, Haley"

She furrowed her brow, "What are you saying?"

He sighed and looked back at her, "I meant what I said Saturday Haley. I don't know how much more of this I can take. And it's not like me to give up so easily on something I really love. And I love it. I really do. I just can't do it anymore. What's even worse, I don't know **why** I can't do it. Y'know, it's like, no matter how confusing or screwed up life got, the game always made sense. It was mine, you know. And in a lot of ways it's who I am. But I can't be that person in their gym, or in their uniforms, or… in their world."

She sighed and her eyes met his, "It _is _who you are Lucas. It always will be. Wether it's in the River Court or in the gym with them. Look, if basketball means that much to you, don't let them win okay? Don't let them take that from you too."

"But, what if I fail? I already screwed up the first game. What if it only gets worse?"

"Well, what if it doesn't?" she rebuked softly, "Look, Robert F. Kennedy once said that _'Only those who dare to fail greatly, can ever achieve greatly_.'

The corners of his mouth tilted up slightly, "Obviously Kennedy never played for the Ravens...or with Nathan and the guys."

She laughed, but her expression grew serious as she stared at him, thinking over his last comment, "Lucas, I can sit here and tell you all the reasons why you shouldn't give up. But in the end that's something that you're going to decide all on your own. If Nathan and the guys have any sort of influence on this, don't worry about them okay? They're going to leave you alone. Trust me on that...anyways this isn't about them."

She gathered her books and stood up, "I've got to head out, but..." she gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, "Just think about what I said okay?" she said softly, "And I'll see you at practice?"

He shrugged and looked down at the table thoughtfully. He picked up a thick black wayward notebook, "Haley you forgot th-" but she was already gone. He sighed and fingered the thick journal curiously. He hesitated for a second before opening it to the first page, a surprised smile crossing his lips as his eyes caught the first lines staring back at him.

_Afraid to surrender my dreams, Afraid to let you in_

_Although I've heard it takes strenght to conquer..._

_It can also take courage to surrender..._

_And sometimes the biggest battles.._

_Are the ones you fight withing your own.._

* * *

"Jakey, Jake!" Brooke grinned as she spotted her childhood friend, sitting alone at her lunch table. She slid her tray across from him and snapped open her Diet Coke, "This is a first. You haven't joined us for lunch in forever."

He shrugged and looked down at his food. He usually holed up in the library trying to get his assignments out of the way so that he could concentrate on his daughter fully at home. But he'd been in a foul mood the whole morning and decided to join the rest of his friends at lunch, in hopes of a distraction, "I figured it was time to get out of my cave."

She giggled and sipped her drink, "Well, good! We've all missed you anyways."

_Not everybody_, he thought sourly, "Why? I see everyone on a daily basis."

She giggled, "You're always so technical about things! I mean during lunch silly. The only time we really see you is during games and practices and it's not like we can all just fool around and joke. Y'know how Sergeant Whitey is."

He cracked a smile, "Yeah. But I saw everyone at Nathan's too."

"Ohhh! Talking about that, it sucks! I only got to dance with you one time." she pouted.

"Can't dance anyway remember?"

"I know." she winked, "But I had so much fun teaching ya."

He blushed slightly and averted his gaze. Why did she have to go and say something like that? And why did it have to send his heart pounding wildly in his chest like that?

"You're a little quiet today." she noticed, taking in his faraway look.

He shrugged, "Not much to say, I guess."

"That's a first." she teased, "But seriously, you okay?"

"Everything's _fine."_ he stressed, a little irritated at her insistence, "Talking about fine, I see everthing's okay between you and Nathan after all." he stated, trying to keep the edge out of his voice.

Her eyes took on a faraway look as she remembered their day together. They had spent the whole day at the beach house and hadn't even bothered to go home, "Things are back to normal." she agreed, smiling dreamily.

He bit the inside of his cheek and shrugged, "I've seen what your 'normal' is." he retorted lightly, hating the way he was coming across but unable to stop, "How can you be happy about that? I mean why can't you see-" he sighed and shook his head, "I'm sorry. It's not my business."

She stared at him, "What are you talking about?"

He sighed irritated, "Just forget it okay?" he said a little more sharply than he wanted to, "I'm sorry I put my two cents in. It obviously doesn't matter." he muttered under his breath.

She frowned, "Jake...are you-are you mad at me or something? I mean, did I do something to offend you? You've been kind of snippy with me since I came over."

"No." he rubbed his eyes tiredly, "I'm just..I'm tired. And cranky. And I'm sorry, I shouldn't take it out on you." he replied a little more softly.

She nodded, knowing there was something more to it than that, "Well, listen if you want to-"

"Hey, Babe!" Nathan grinned and plopped down next to her, they rest of the guys following close behind. He glanced over at Jake, "Jagielski." he smirked. He turned to the brunnette and made a big show of leaning down and pressing his lips to hers.

Brooke interwined her fingers through Nathan's, whatever she was about to say to Jake quickly forgotten as she lost herself in her boyfriend's sweet kiss.

Jake sighed and averted his gaze as everyone else hooted and whistled as Brooke and Nathan continued to kiss. He silently got up and threw his lunch away, making his way to the library. It's not like they noticed anyway. At least, not the one that mattered.

* * *

Lucas trudged into the lockers after a rough practice. He'd decided to show up, taking truly to heart Haley's words in the tutoring center earlier that day. That, and maybe a little something more got him through that practice. He was slightly shocked though. Nathan and his friends hadn't thrown one single disparaging comment his way. Or thrown the ball at his face deliberately. Something must be up, he thought suspiciously as he changed into his regular clothes. It must be another plan to mess with him. Make him think they're done and then BAM! Hit him with a good one when he leasts expects it.

Regardless, he wasn't going to let any of that mess with his new-found lifted spirits. He was determined to make this work. He was going to show them all, just who Lucas Scott really was. A damn good player. He'd already let them take a lot from him. But they weren't going to take this. Not anymore.

* * *

Across the school, and having taken a refreshing shower after cheer practice, Haley decided to head over to the tutoring center. There were some things she needed to pick up for her next tutoring session the next morning. That, and she couldn't find her journal. She walked in there in hopes of finding it.

After grabbing what she needed she looked around the room. But there was no sign of her beloved journal. Slight panic rose inside of her but she quickly dismissed it. She'd probably left it in her locker, she told herself rationally. No need to freak.

She did a quick double check but came across empty. There was no way she could've lost it. What if someone had it? she thought to herself horrified. Oh god, every single thought and emotion was written in between those pages. She would die, if anyone ever read it. Her entire heart and soul was poured into that book.

The door swung open before she could step out and she jumped back startled. Her face quickly turned into a frown, "What are _you_ doing here? You're a little lost aren't you?"

Felix shook his head, "Afraid not, Doll. This _is_ the tutor center right? Where students in dire need like myself come for help?"

"No way in hell. Are you kidding me?"

He shook his head again and digged in his backpack, pulling out a piece of paper swiftly, "Does this look like a joke to you?"

She stared at the blue sheet with both their names written clearly across. She shoved it back into his hands, "You're really something you know that? After what you pulled on Saturday and this morning, and now you expect me to actually help you?" she crossed her arms in front of her, "I'm sorry, but you obviously have me confused with someone who actually cares."

"You're obviously not understanding this. I'm _failing."_

She sighed, "Whatever. Look, I'll find you someone else."

"Sorry Doll, but this sheet specifically says that _you're_ going to be my tutor."

"That can be changed!" she snapped.

"Hey, there's nobody else. You're obviously the best. You're a tutor, I'm your student, when do we start?"

She rubbed her forehead, completely aggravated now, "We're not! I'm not going to help you. Okay? Find someone else!"

He sighed, "Look Haley, I wouldn't be here if I didn't really need your help. But fine, whatever. You don't want to help me? That's fine. But I thought this is what you do. You help students much less brighter than yourself. Despite any issues you may be having with them. I thought you would look past that, but I guess not right?"

She faltered slightly, her anger dissipating as she watched him slink out the door. She sighed deeply and slumped down on one of the chairs. Completely exhausted. Both physically and mentally. Her conscious was yelling at her to do the right thing...but her instincts were telling her she did good in refusing her help to the boy. The question now was....who should she do?

* * *

"Dude, I can't believe you hit Felix and I missed it!"

Lucas chuckled as he and Peyton walked along the streets of Tree Hill later that evening, "The guy deserved it. You should've _heard_ some of the things he was saying about Haley."

"Aw...and of course you couldn't allow that." she teased, pushing him slightly, "That is so sweet! Standing up for your girl...Oh! So romantic!" she pretended to swoon and he laughed.

"So anyways this thing we're going to? What's it about anyway?"

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Some sort of tradition I guess. It's called a burning boat festival. Something about burning your bad karma or luck and stuff."

"Ah." she nodded, "A chance to start fresh?"

"Something like that."

"So, what bad karma are you burning this year?"

He shrugged and smiled, "If I tell you, will you promise not to laugh? Or think it's totally stupid?"

She pretended to be offended, "Luke, I would never dare!"

He laughed, "Yeah, you would! So promise!"

She grinned, "Okay, you big baby. I promise."

He pulled out a small piece of material out of his pocket and showed it to her.

She took it from his hands and looked at him, "Your jersey from junior leagues? Wait, that's when you used to play in the same league as.."

He nodded, "Yeah, they've had a hold on me and my love of the game every since that day. And I figured, it's time to let it go y'know? Because it's not about him. Or them."

She nodded and hooked her arms through his, "I understand. And no, I don't think it's supid at all. I think it's right for tonight. For what it signifies." she smiled, "And look...we're here."

* * *

"Haley!" Brandon ran breathlessly towards her, "Look!" he exclaimed, handing her a paper, "Check it out!"

She looked down at it and a huge grin broke out on her face, "B+! Brandon, all right! You did it!"

"Yeah, I just threw all my bad grades into the pot. I'm not going back there."

She nodded, "I know you're not."

"I've had...I don't know how many tutors, and you're a miracle worker."

She shook her head and handed his paper back to him, "No, this is all you, man. Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Haley. See you." he leaned down and gave her a quick friendly hug and she stood there, watching him leave. The happy grin was still in tact and she basked in the glow she always felt after seeing the hard work pay off. Not just in her part. But in their's as well.

That moment was short lived as in that moment she turned around and spotted Felix staring at her a few feet away. She recalled their encounter earlier and turned away feeling her high spirits come crashing down. She heard Brooke calling her name and she walked over to meet her best friend. She hesitated slightly as she spotted Nathan standing with the brunnette. She shot him a quick smile, but it didn't matter anyway. He completely avoided her gaze and turned his attention to Brooke instead. Her face fell slightly and she sighed, looking away from them. She caught sight of two blondes standing across from them, and her face lit up into a friendly smile as she lifted her hand in a wave, ignoring Nathan's annoyed gaze.

* * *

"You know, I really do like her."

Lucas looked over at her, "Huh?"

She nodded in the direction where the entire popular crowd stood, "Haley. I really do like her. She's really sweet."

He smiled as he stared into the fire burning in front of them, "Yeah." he said softly.

"Are you ever going to tell her how you feel?"

His head snapped up to look at her, his brow furrowed, "I-I don't know." he admitted, "I mean, I don't want freak her out or anything. We barely know each other."

"Who cares about how long you've known each other? You can't help the way you feel. If not now then when?"

"I don't want to ruin this easy friendship we've got going, by just laying it all out there y'know? And what if...I mean, I don't know...what if she doesn't feel the same?"

"Who knows? You might be surprised." she smiled. She'd seen the way the pretty tutor reacted around her best friend. "Besides...sometimes you just have to jump in with your heart and take a chance."

He looked over at her, a small smile on his face, "Okay, what was that?" he laughed, "Where's my cynical Peyton and what have you done with her?" he teased.

She shrugged innocently, "What? I'm good for the occasional optimistic advice."

They were quiet for several minutes as they both took in their surroundings. "It's different with Haley." he spoke up, his gaze fixed on the blonde across from them. "It's like...there's an _understanding_ there. A connection. I know it sounds crazy, but I can't explain it. It's like there's something about her that just draws me in. And I can't look or walk away. Have you ever felt that Peyton? Have you ever met somebody and just felt like they know you and understand you, without really trying?"

_Are you ever going to tell me why you're so sad?....There's an air of heaviness that surrounds you..I just want to know, what's a beautiful girl like yourself have to be sad about?....He's not your type... Your Dad will come back, you'll see. He'd be crazy not to..._

She shook her head and gave her best friend a small smile, "Nope. Never Have."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N Hey guys! No, I didn't forget about this story and I'm sorry for updating so late but I was suffering from writer's block honestly. But I hope the long chapter will make up for the wait. A few things from this chapter… I know the history teacher was a bit dramatic but honestly…did we all not have one of those in high school? Lol. The game scenes are all from the show and I know it must seem strange to have 2 games within 3 chapters but I deemed it necessary for upcoming scenes, anyways normally I don't like to skip ahead of myself but I'll give you some spoilers…Many things are coming to a head next chapter and I've already got it pretty much mapped out so hopefully it won't take me as long to post it up, but let me know what you guys think!**

Haley cursed softly as she rummaged through her locker early the next morning. She'd already looked twice, but it wasn't there. Her missing notebook was still…missing. Slightly panicked, she tried to rack her mind as to where else she could've possibly left it. She wanted to kick herself for being so careless as to bring it to school. I mean if she didn't want anyone to ever see it, then why bring it to school with hundreds of nosy teenagers, any of which could've easily grabbed it right?

"Mr. Tagaro, I can't say I'm surprised."

She paused in her desperate search and peeked out from behind her locker door, catching sight of Mr. Kneipher stepping out of his classroom. The history teacher was regarding the boy in front of him with a slightly disapproving frown marring his features.

She quickly averted her gaze and went back to her business, trying to ignore the conversation a couple of feet away.

"This is the third test you've failed ." the older man's voice droned on, floating over to her. "On top of that you are not turning in your assignments as expected, you're goofing off in class, that is when you decide to grace us with your presence and I just don't know how to get through to you young man." he took off his reading glasses and sighed, "I've given you several options, one of which we discussed yesterday afternoon. Perhaps tutoring is the right step to correct you're already flailing path, young man."

Felix looked up and took note of the blonde hiding behind her locker door. A sly smile crossed his lips and he shrugged, turning back to the older man, with a convincing pained look on his face, "I'm sorry but that doesn't seem to be a very possible option right now."

"Well, then I believe it's about time we had a little discussion with your parents. Maybe they can think of a better alternative for you, because lord knows I tried." he crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head, "You need to get it together young man. You cannot start the year in such a manner. You young kids don't ever understand the importance of diligence. You keep with this attitude and you will have a very hard time catching up next year. Do you understand what that could possibly mean for you? You don't correct this path of academic failure you've taken upon embarking and I can guarantee you will not graduate with your class next year. " he shook his head sadly, "Let it be known that I've pointed out, but there's just no hope for your generation."

The older man took his leave and Felix had to hold back a laugh at the older man's antics. He walked over slowly towards Haley's locker, "You heard the man. " he shot her a tight smile when she looked his way, "No hope. But hey, that's okay…we all don't _have _to graduate right?"

He was gone before she could muster a response and she closed her eyes and leaned into her locker dejectedly, something resembling guilt washing over her.

* * *

"Do we really have to go to school?" Nathan grumbled sleepily as he swiftly maneuvered his black top convertible through the streets of Tree Hill.

"Nathan.." Brooke reproached lightly, "We can't just skip out the entire day. I don't think that'd go overly well with Whitey and you don't want to miss your chance to shine in this week's game do you?" she teased.

"Well, no." he admitted. Truthfully, he knew his coach was serious about benching players if they skipped class. And he'd never do anything intentionally to harm his chances of playing. But an entire day alone with his girlfriend was extremely tempting."Babe, I know what you're saying, but I still don't see why we have to go. We can bail for a couple of hours and Whitey would never know."

"Why does this sound strangely familiar?" she mused, shaking her head in amusement, "You'd really risk getting caught by Whitey and possibly sitting out this week's game?"

"Hey, I'd risk anything just to be with you." he replied sweetly.

Her lips curled into a smile and she leaned across the seat to kiss him quickly on the lips, "Such a charmer.." she teased, her eyes sparkling, "But that will get you 5 today, Superstar."

He chuckled, remembering her little point system she had set up when they had first started dating. At the beginning, and unbeknownst to him Brooke had started rating him on any details he had with her. Or anytime he would say or do something sweet she would secretly give him points. Like, every time he carried her books without her asking or waited for her at her locker, she would reward him 2 points. Calling to wish her a good night or bringing her favorite Starbucks frappucino in the morning and he would receive 3. Any sweet comment or doing and it was 5 automatic points. Of course all these secret points would add up and he'd get his rewards. 5 points would reward him a kiss, 20 points equaled a full on hot and steamy make out session, 30 points....a little bit more than that...and one time he'd managed to gain 50 in the course of 2 weeks and it had earned him his first true sexy sleepover at her house. Of course, he'd knew nothing of it, and it had gone on for the first couple of months until Haley one day accidentally mentioned it. Nathan had been impressed to say the least and began using it to his advantage, going out of his way to make sure he got as many points as quickly as possible. Brooke eventually caught on that he knew and had ended it. But it had been fun and they'd both equally relished in her little game.

He entwined his hand through hers and brought it up to his lips for a kiss, "Have I told you how radiant you look this morning?" he sent her a side long grin, "Really, Babe. The sun just pales in comparison."

She giggled, "I know what you're trying to do, but you can't charm your way into this one Superstar." she ran her hand across his shoulders, "Although, it does give you an extra 5." she whispered, brushing her lips across his cheek, "But...I still can't." she said ruefully, settling back on her side, "I've got that meeting with Student Council today."

"Already planning your next take over?" he teased.

"Next? Please, everyone knows I already rule Tree Hill High." she grinned, "No, but seriously, we've got to assign comittees for the upcoming Homecoming Dance, which by the way is following the away game at Bear Creek."

"You hate planning." he pointed out.

"I know." she sighed dramatically, "It's one of the downsides that comes with the power."

He laughed, "Hey, I don't know if I mentioned it you, but I heard Tyler telling the guys that he and Rachel are running for the title this year."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about _them_. Everyone knows we are so taking the title this year, _again."_ she giggled, "Although I can't wait to see the stupid look on Rachel's face when I beat her out once again."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head, completely disinterested. He'd never cared about any of that stuff, but he knew how important it was to Brooke, which was the only reason he ever went along with it in the first place.

"Yeah, I don't know why she even bothers." he agreed, "Everyone's voting for you anyways."

"Of course." She cooed, flashing him a smile, "Besides, I always get what I want one way or another."

"Don't _I_ know it." he laughed, "Well, Homecoming or not, you'll always be _my_ Queen." He stated sweetly, supplying her with his most charming smile.

"Nice work Superstar." she replied impressed, "That one just earned gave you the full 20." she reached out a hand to feather his hair with her fingers, "Now, it's too bad this car is still moving, because I am more than willing to let you cash in." she winked up at him, smiling coyly.

He took a deep breath and looked down at the speedometer, calculating in his head the fastest route to school. Because there was no way he was going to let that one pass.

* * *

"Hey, Haley what's wrong?" Lucas asked cautiously, noticing the blonde girl by her locker looking slightly perturbed.

She looked up slightly startled, "Oh, hey. Nothing's wrong, I'm just a little tired that's all." she looked back into her locker and sighed, "Actually, something is wrong. I can't find my journal." she grabbed her Biology book and shut her locker, turning back to him, "It sucks. It's not meant for anyone else to see, and with my luck it could be anywhere in the school, in the hands of some nosy slime."

He laughed, "Well, I don't know about some _slime_...but-"he reached into his backback and pulled out the thick worn black book and handed it to her.

She breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh, thank god." she hugged it to her chest tightly."Wait, where did you find this?"

"You left it in the tutor center yesterday." he explained, "By the time I saw it, you were gone."

"Oh." she paused, looking up at him through narrowed eyes, "You didn't read it did you?"

"I-" he paused and shook his head, "No."

Her eyes softened and she smiled sincerely. "Thank you."

"Yeah, uh-"he cleared his throat, "You're welcome." he smiled back as they both began walking towards her first class.

"So..." he began, breaking their comfortable silence, "I'm sure you gathered as much, but I've decided I'm not going to let Nathan and the guys intimidate me out of doing what I love."

"Good." she smiled, "I was really glad to see you show up yesterday."

"Yeah, y'know..." he laughed, "It's kind of funny, but there must be something in the air or something."

"What do you mean?"

"Just that Nathan and the guys seemed kind of.._mellow_, to put it mildly." he shrugged, "It was a peaceful and incident-free drill."

"Well, maybe they decided to turn over a new leaf."she suggested, a trace of a smile in her voice.

"Or maybe they ran out of ideas to screw me over...for now."

She laughed, "Pessimistic much? I wouldn't worry about them Luke."

He smiled at her, liking the way she shortened his name, "You're right. I'm doing this for me, because it's what I love to do." he paused, "You know a really smart person once told me to always remember who I am and what I can accomplish. "

"A really smart person huh?" she teased, her eyes twinkling as she remembered one of their very first conversations.

"Besides, sometimes the biggest battles are the ones you fight withing your own right?"

She froze, the smile dying on her lips, "What did you just say?"

He stopped, looking at her puzzled before realization dawned on him. _Damn._ "Haley, wait I didn't-"

"You didn't what?" she looked at him, her eyes piercing, "You didn't read my journal?"

"No, I-"

"How could you?" she shot him an incredulous look, "You had no business snooping through my things like that!"

"Haley, let me-"

"Stop!" she fumed, "I can't believe you stood in front of me and lied to me when I _clearly_ asked you if you read it. This is unbelivable. Y'know I thought you were an honest guy with principles and _morals_. But clearly I was wrong. Because someone with morals doesn't read other peoples personal thoughts and emotions." she took a deep breath, tears brimming behind her eyes, "Y'know what? Next time you see me, _don't_ talk to me."

"Haley, wait!" he exhaled sharply, watching dejectedly as she strode angrily down the halls. Oh boy. He'd majorly screwed up.

* * *

Haley frowned and tapped her pen against her Chemistry book, staring down hard at the material in front of her. The teacher's voice droned on in the background, his words sounding as if they coming from very far away.

She had no clue what about, anyways. It's not like she was paying attention, she'd been working on the same question for the last 10 minutes.

"Hey." Jake whispered, poking her discreetly on her right side, "What's wrong?"

She looked up slightly startled, "What?"

His eyes darted to the front and noticed the teacher going over the material with another student. He scooted his stool closer to hers, leaning towards her."I asked you what's wrong?"

"If I tell you I'm just tired, would you believe me?"

He gave her a look, "What do you think?"

She gave him a small smile, "Yeah, I didn't think so." she sighed and dropped her pen on her book, "Do you-"she paused, fidgeting in her seat, "Do you believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt?"

He shrugged, "Depends on what you're giving them the benefit of."

"Well..."she began, "Let's just say someone who in your eyes, happens to be..." she paused, searching for the right word,"Well, not a very nice person, someone who's done many underhanded things, and is just an all around-"

"Jerk." he supplied for her.

"Right." she nodded, "Well, this _jerk_..happens to come to you in hopes of receiving your aid in matters in which you excel, and they well....don't."

He smiled, "So basically, an undeserving prick came to you for tutoring."

She exhaled, "Yeah, and I refused to do it. I mean...I think I was justified in doing it, because like I said this guy's done some pretty assy things, particularly to me." she bit her lip, "But, I-well I don't know, maybe I was wrong."

"Look, I know you Hales. And you have this amazing sensibility and ability to help others. You always end up doing what you believe is right in the end." he paused, "Want to know what I think? I think that if you really thought you'd done the right thing, you wouldn't be sitting here second guessing your actions." he shrugged, "And who knows? Maybe this person really does need your help."

Her eyes fluttered down and she sighed, thinking over his words. Maybe things weren't as complicated as she was setting them out to be_._

* * *

"Well, well, if it isn't the president to my new fan club." Nathan teased, spotting the curly blonde sitting alone in the same spot from yesterday.

She groaned, not bothering to look up as he sat across from her, "This isn't going to become a habit of yours is it?"

"I don't know, do you want it to be?"

"Y'know, solitude is really under appreciated nowadays."She began, lifting her head to look at him, "Don't you have a class to go to? Or am I going to be forced to deal with your less than charming presence the rest of the period?"

He laughed, "I think you're suffering from self-denial, Curly. Because I _know_, you enjoy our quality time more than you let on."

She rolled her eyes, ignoring his comment, "What are you doing out here? I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you have to mantain a minimal grade point average in order to participate in athletic activities? How do you expect to do that if you keep bailing on your education?"

"Don't you talk like a normal person?" he asked her amused.

"Oh, I'm sorry." she brought a hand to her chest in a mock apology, "I'll keep it simple for you...you cut class, you fall behind. You fall behind, you fail. You fail, you don't play. Now you don't want that do you?" she retorted, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

He grinned, "Why, Sawyer, I didn't know you cared?"

She glared at him, "Are you going to answer my question or not?"

"Which one?" he asked innocently, for the mere purpose of annoying her.

She shook her head and exhaled, "Why aren't you in class?"

"So, you _do_ care." he teased, earning him another glare. He laughed and shrugged, "Eh. I've got Calc. but Carter's cool. Doesn't really ride me much. Y'know I give him the whole, practice-is-killing-me deal and he lets me slide. He's a huge fan, that old man. Never misses a game."

"And of course, _you _wouldn't give up a free pass." she replied wryly.

"Hey, it's all part of the status quo." he boasted, "Give and take, baby. I give them the pride that is this basketball team and I take all the star treatment I deserve."

She shook her head and said nothing, slightly amazed by his arrogance. She turned her attention back to the sketch in front of her. Maybe if she pretended he was not there, he wouldn't be.

He drummed his fingers on the table, looking around them bored,"Hey, what do you say we make like a hippy and blow this joint?"

She looked up from her sketch, "Excuse me?"

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah y'know...take off."

"With you?"

"With me?" he smiled innocently.

She exhaled, exasperated, "_Yes._ With you."

He grinned, "I knew you'd say yes, but damn Sawyer I got to admit that was fast."

She glared at him realizing he had set her up for that one, "I really don't like you."

"Oh, but I think you do." he sing-songed teasingly, "So, then are you game?"

"How can I possibly refuse?" she replied dryly, "Oh, I know." she smiled at him cutely, "How about _no."_

He smirked, "Very cute."

She gave him her own smirk, "I thought so."

"I promise I'll be a good boy."

"I don't think you know the meaning of the word." she retorted.

"C'mon.." he cajoled, ignoring her previous statement, "You know you want to." he grinned, "Listen, if you're afraid you won't be able to resist those urges when you're alone with me, then-"

She glared at him, cutting him off, "The only urges I have around you are not very pleasant ones. In fact, I'd say they're almost _violent_."

"Violent huh?" he teased her, "Hey, if that's your deal I can get down with that."

She groaned and hit him on the shoulder, "Seriously, could you be any more obnoxious?"

"You really weren't kidding about those violent urges were you?" he rubbed his shoulder, "Y'know there are better ways to deal with your uh..._agression_ problems."

"Oh, I can think of several ways, actually." she smiled at him sweetly, "One particularly comes to mind. Me in a car at full speed..you in the middle of the street. End of story."

"Uh-_huh_." he nodded, "Why don't we test that theory? Because I really don't think you would dare."

"Try me."

"Maybe some other time Sawyer." he winked at her suggestively, "Right now, I'd really just like a double cheeseburger." he stood up, extending his hand out to her.

She ignored it, "I'm not hungry."

"Fine, then you could just watch me eat."

"Or I could just not watch you at all."

"Do you have a sarcastic remark for _everything_?" he shook his head, "Sawyer, we've already wasted half the period talking about it. Just go with me. You know you're going to cave in the end."

"Nope."

"C'mon, you know you want to." he repeated, supplying her with his heart-stopping grin. "I might even let you drive." he added, as an incentive.

"You'd really take a chance on letting a complete stranger touch Daddy's car?" she asked teasingly.

He rolled his eyes, "I'll have you know, it's mine. My 16th birthday gift." he shrugged, "And hey, if that's what it takes, then sure why not?"

She paused, contemplating her options. She shrugged and stood up, gathering her things, "Oh, why not?"

* * *

Nathan pulled out his keys from his pocket as he and Peyton approached his car. He paused, dangling them teasingly in front of her, "You're not planning on testing any theories from earlier right now are you?"

She tilted her head to look at him, "Well, I guess you'll just have to take your chances now won't you?"

"Hmm." he grinned smugly, crossing his arms in front of him, "Decisions, decisions."

She rolled her eyes and took a step forward, snapping the keys away from him, "C'mon, Scott. I'll leave that for another time. There's no way I'm giving up the chance to drive this baby." she added, patting the trunk of the car. She threw her stuff in the back, hesitating but a second before jumping in the front seat. "Well?" she turned to look back at him, "Are you just going to stand there looking pretty or are we taking off?"

He smirked, walking over to the passenger side of the car, "Aren't you the one who came up with a million different ways to say no just a few moments ago?" he couldn't help but throw that back to her, "And now _you're_ rushing _me _to get out of here?"

"Whatever." she replied, placing the key in the ignition and bringing the engine to life.

She looked back at him incredulously as a tune began to flow through the speakers, "_Seriously_? Coolio?"

"What?" he replied defensively, "Gangsta's paradise is a classic."

"A classic piece of crap." she scoffed, backing out carefully out of the parking lot. "Not only is it _soo_ 1990's but it's an absurd depiction of the "gangsta" life."

"It's just a song, Sawyer." he laughed, "The beat is pretty clean. That's why I like it."

She shot him a look of disbelief, "Just a song? Are you kidding me? There's no such thing as just a _song_." she shook her head, "Have you ever heard the expression, 'When words fail, music speaks?' That's what every good song should represent. Words. Emotions. And _that_ crap right here that you're listening to is not any of that."

He held up his hands, "Okay, okay. Damn, don't bite my head off or anything." he chuckled, shuffling through his CD case, "Sorry to dissapoint you Curly, but that _crap_ is all I have in here." he smirked, "I forgot you were an emo kid or something like that. What is it you listen to now? Surfboard something?"

"_Dashboard_ Confessional." she corrected him. "God, you jocks are all alike."

"Hey, watch it." he warned playfully, shuffling through the tracks.

"Music is more than just music..." she continued, "A song is always more than just lyrics and beats. A song can change your life. Help you through dark moments, make you reflect...define you, y'know?"

"So tell me Sawyer.." he began teasingly, "What's _your_ song?"

She shrugged, turning to him with a faint smile, "I don't know. I guess I'm still trying to find mine." she replied softly.

He was about to answer when he noticed her pull in to the local burger joint.

"Hi, yeah can I order a double cheeseburger with the works and a large strawberry milkshake?" She paused as she looked back at him "Actually make it 2 of each one!"

"What?" she asked upon catching his curious stare, "One's for me."

"You said you weren't hungry." he pointed out.

"I'm not. " she replied, "That's why I didn't order fries."

"Of _course_." He nodded, "That makes perfect sense."

"Now who's the one being sarcastic?"

He shrugged, "You must be rubbing off on me." he pulled out a twenty and handed it to the lady at the window in exchange for the food. Peyton swiftly pulled into one of the empty parking spaces and unbuckled he seat belt, digging in the carry out bags. They were quiet for several minutes as they ate.

"So, let me ask you, how did you and Dawson meet?"

She rolled her eyes, at his insitence to call Lucas Dawson, "Why do you want to know?"

He shrugged, "Just curious."

She took a sip of her milkshake, staring thoughtfully ahead of her, "We've known each other forever. Best friends all our lives."

"Ah.." he teased, "So I was right. You two totally have that Joey/Dawson vibe going on."

"We do not." she rebuked.

"You do so." he turned to her, his eyes sparkling with laughter, "You guys probably sleep on the same bed and everything. '_Platonically_' of course."

She turned away from him, a slight blush creeping up her cheeks, "Shut up."

He laughed, "You just totally admitted it."

"I did not."

"Yes you did. That adorable blush just admitted your guilt." he shook his head impressed,"Wow, I didn't think the punk had it in him."

She exhaled, thoroughly annoyed, "Look me and Lucas are just friends. 100%, innocently, purely best friends. And the fact that I...well, my Dad's gone most of the time and I _really_ hate sleeping alone and I-I don't even know why I'm sitting here explaining myself to you."

"Because you like me. No matter how much you like to deny it." he grinned, his eyes sparkling.

She rolled her eyes and opened the driver's seat pushing the seat back and quickly gathering her stuff silently.

His brow furrowed in confusion, "Where you going?" when she didn't answer him, he opened his door and stepped out, walking over to her as she tried to walk past him. He grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Hey, wait." she stopped and looked at him, "I'm sorry, if I said anything to piss you off okay?" she didn't say anything, just stood there glaring at him. He exhaled, "Okay, well at least let me take you back to school, yeah?"

She rolled her eyes but nodded silently, finally conceding and he let out a sigh of relief, taking her book bag from her and walking back to the car. He hopped in the driver's seat, setting her book bag in between the two seats.

He fingered the large sketchbook, a loose slit of paper tumbling out. He picked it up and stared at it as she sat down in the passenger seat, slamming the door behind her.

_At this moment there are 6,470,818,671 people in the world. Some are running scared. Some are coming home. Some tell lies to make it through the day; others are just now facing the truth. Some are evil men at war with good, and some are good struggling with evil. Six billion people in the world, six billion souls. And sometimes...all you need is one._

"Wow." he whistled, reading the caption across the paper. Beneath the letters, there several faceless figures with one smack in the middle. A tall girl with curly hair. "That's pretty deep Sawyer." he gazed at her, "Which one are you?"

She took the sketchbook from him and closed it with a huff, "Look, you don't know me okay? So stop making comments like-like the one from earlier and stop looking at my stuff. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Hey, I'm just making a simple observation."

"Well, _don't_." she let out a breath and stared out the window, her pretty green eyes narrowed.

He gazed at her for a couple of seconds, "Why do you like to be sad?" he wanted to know.

She turned back to face him, slightly confused, "What?"

He shrugged, "Well, it just seems that you like to be sad. I guess I just want to know why?"

She bit her lip, staring at him, wondering why he would ask her something like that. Normally, she would have reacted in defense, like she had moments ago. But there was something about his question that just threw her completely off guard.

"Because that way you know what to expect from life." she finally replied,"And when somebody hurts you or dissapoints..well you don't feel it as much." he turned to look at her and she shrugged, "Sometimes being sad is a hell of a lot easier than being happy."

* * *

"How's your nose?" Rachel giggled as she set her lunch tray across from Felix early that lunch period.

"What do you want?"he asked, irritated.

"Oh, are we in a bad mood today?" she rolled her eyes, reaching for her Diet Coke and popping it open, "Chill, Dude. I'm just teasing you."

"Well, why don't you stick a straw in your Diet and just suck it?" he suggested, his eyes narrowed.

"Somebody's obviously suffering from Didn't-get-some-last-night-syndrome!" she retorted, shaking her head, "I'm guessing things with the tutor aren't going so well?"

"They aren't going at _all_." he admitted, "But, whatever. It's just a matter of time. She's already giving in, I can tell."

"_Right._ And after the way you handled her on Saturday, yeah, the tutor definitely wants you." she rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her drink.

He shrugged, "That was the old Felix. She has yet to know the sweet, _repented_, nice-guy Felix."

"Oh, please. You didn't just say that with a straight face."

"Look, obviously being my usual charming, irresistible self didn't work.." he continued, ignoring her gagging motions, "So, I decided I'm going to turn over a new leaf. You know, become one of the _good_ guys. I have to get in her good graces, get her to trust me somehow..."

"Okay, genius and how are you going to do that? Because she pretty much runs in the other direction when you're within a 5 foot radius of her."

He smirked, "Well, let's just say I've gotten myself in a situation in where she just can't say no."

"Okay, what do you have up your sleeve?"

He reached for his folder and opened it, swiftly pulling out several pieces of paper. He pushed them towards the redhead and she picked them up, glancing curiously at them, "Okay..so you failed a couple History and English tests...not surprising really, but what does...."she paused, as realization dawned on her, "Oohhh...I see." she nodded at him impressed, "_Nice_."

He grinned, "She can't possibly refuse to help out a fellow peer now can she? I mean, it is what she signed up for. It would be morally wrong on her part to turn away a student in need of her...uh _services."_ He failed to mention that she already had refused. She didn't need to know that.

She looked down in amusement at the several sheets of paper, "Dude, you're pathetic. How did you manage to fail _6 _tests in the first couple of weeks of school?"

He shrugged innocently, "It's easy to when you don't _try_."

Her mouth fell open slightly, "You're failing on _purpose_?" she raised an eyebrow, "That's a little desperate don't you think? Even for you."

"Ever hear the phrase 'Desperate times calls for desperate measures?"

She laughed, "All this for the _Tutor_? I mean, do you really want her _that_ bad?"

"No." he scoffed, "This isn't about the bet anymore." he shook his head, "Look, she totally humiliated me last Saturday, in front of everyone. I mean where the hell does she get off? I'm just really sick of her I'm-better-than-you demeanor and her whole sweet and innocent act." he paused, a hint of anger in his eyes, "I'm going to make her fall. And hard. And once I get what I want out of her, I'll be done with her. Humiliate her and drop her like she never meant anything.....and _that_ my dear Rachel, is what they call the sweetest revenge of all."

* * *

"Whoa..." Peyton said as she strolled in to Karen's cafe later that afternoon. She noticed her best friend slumped over the counter, playing listlessly with the salt shaker."You look like your mom just told you you have a brother you didn't know about or something."

He glared at her, "Ha. Funny."

"Uh...j_oke_." she smiled, settling in to the stool next to his, "What's wrong?"

He sighed, "Haley's pissed at me."

"Huh. That was fast." she replied amused, reaching across the counter for a muffin.

"_Peyton_." he shook his head exasperated, "I'm serious."

"So am I."

He groaned and dropped his head on his hands, "You're not helping."

"I'm sorry." she said honestly, "Now, tell me, what did you do to get sweet, all around nice girl _Haley _upset with you?"

"Well..I-" he winced, "I read her journal."

"You _what?"_ she exclaimed, dropping her muffin on the counter.

"Well, not the entire thing!" he countered defensively.

"Lucas.."she reproached, "It doesn't matter if you read even just _one_ sentence. That's....it's personal and most importantly private." she shook her head, "She has every right to be upset with you. Gosh, I'd be _pissed _if you ever submitted my sketches to _Thud_ or something."

"I know it was wrong okay?" he exhaled, "But, well some of that stuff...it was _beautiful _you know?"

"Well, beautiful or not, it was still never in your place to read any of it."

"I know." he conceded morosely, "Peyton...she told me next time I saw her, not to talk to her."

She sighed and rubbed his shoulder comfortingly, "I'm sorry, I know that sucks. But you have to understand where she's coming from. Invasion of privacy of any kind is not an easy thing to forgive. I mean think of how _you _would feel. Talk to her okay? You're a good guy with good intentions and I'm sure deep down she knows that."

"Y'know..." he began, his eyes lighting up just a bit, "You're not so bad at this whole best friend thing."

"Well, that's what I'm here for. To point out when you've royally screwed up and help you out in my own way." she gave him a playful shove, "You just better not screw up too often."

* * *

Haley entered the tutor center, early Friday morning. She'd finished her work a little early and had gotten special permission from her History teacher to leave . Of course he'd conceded, she was after all Haley James, student extraordinaire. It's not like she was going to go about campus to goof off. No, she was off to another sholastic mission, as expected.

She walked over to the filing cabinets, searching for the Algebra lesson for that day's tutor session.

She retrieved it and sat at one of the long tables, looking over it briefly. She couldn't believe it was the end of the week already. Another Friday, another tutoring session, another game...and of course another party. God, when did her life become such a routine?

She paused halfway through the lesson plan in front of her, her mind wandering to the previous days. She'd managed unceremoniously, to avoid _both _Lucas and Felix the entire week. Lucas had tried to approach her several times. Apparently he hadn't gotten the hint when she told him not to speak to her. She frowned to herself, at the thought of him reading her poetry or lyrics. Her innermost thoughts and feelings. Yes, she was still very much irked, but more than that... dissapointed.

As for Felix, well it wasn't so much that she was avoiding him. She just couldn't stand being in his presence for too long, though she _had _come to a mental agreement regarding his situation.

She gathered her books, placing the Algebra lesson neatly in her folder. She stood up and glanced casually out the window and noticed two familiar figures out by the quad. She walked over to the window, clearly making out the forms of Nathan and Peyton sitting on a secluded table over by the far corner of the school grounds.

Haley's brow furrowed... Nathan and Peyton?

The curly blonde was lazily running a thick pencil over what Haley assumed was a sketchbook. She was shaking her head as the basketball player sat across from her, grinning and obviously teasing her.

Haley peered at them throught the window curiously, wondering what was going on. I mean, sure it looked innocent enough but still...she wasn't aware the two even talked to each other, much less hanged out. Alone, together...when they both clearly should've been in class.

Well, at least she knew Nathan was supposed to be. But he usually ditched his third period class, knowing the teacher always let him get off without incident. She also knew that more than once he'd get Brooke to skip with him and he'd even tried to get _her_ to skip with him before. But this was a new development, apparently he'd found another way to spend his lazy hour.

She sighed and turned away from the window, gathering her stuff and slipping out the door. It most likely was all too innocent. There was no rule that said that a boy and girl couldn't hang out together without there being something brewing. She was just surprised that was all. Sure, he was a basketball player and she was on the squad, but given the circumstances and their respective counterparts...well it just seemed complicated for some reason.

She brifely wondered how Brooke and Lucas would react, or if there was even anything to react to.

* * *

Nathan adjusted the pillow behind his back, watching as his girlfriend sat in front of her vanity mirror primping before that night's game.

"Hey, Babe?" he said, picking up the remote to the stereo, "We've got exactly one hour before we have to get going."

She narrowed her eyes at him through the mirror as she brushed her hair,"Are you implying that it's going to take me that long to finish getting ready?"

"From experience, yeah. Besides, I don't know why you even bother really."

She swiveled around to face him, her mouth dropping open in disbelief, "Nathan!"

"What?" he turned innocent eyes on her, "I just don't see how all that gooey and powdery stuff you mess with could possibly make you look even more beautiful than you already do."

Her eyes softened and her lips curled into a smile, "Babe.." she said fondly, "It's called eye shadow and foundation."

"Whatever, you still don't need it." he insisted, pushing a few buttons on the remote and falling back into the plush comforter as Jay-Z flowed through the speakers. He looked around the room a little restless, wishing Brooke would stop obsessing over her make up and join him on the bed.

He picked up a foreign item among the many plush animals that scattered on his girlfriend's bed and smirked, "Still playing with Barbies, Babe?"

She looked up and shrugged, picking up a small bottle of blue shadow, "What? I love Barbie." she flashed him her adorable half-smile, "That Bitch has everything."

"You stole that from a key chain." he accused, laughing. "Y'know for being a a fiery brunette, you sure do have a strange obsession with the blonde bombshells.." he commented, picking up a framed picture off her nightstand, "Barbie, Marylin Monroe..Britney Spears.."

"Hey those bitches totally rock." she replied defensively, brushing the blue powder over her eyelids. She paused as she watched him playing with the frame, tossing it up in the air and catching it, "Babe, put that down!" she warned, "I swear if you break it...."

He rolled his eyes, but set it back down on the nightstand anyways, "Relax, Babe. It's not like you don't have plenty of them anyways, speaking of..." he pointed to the 3-foot carved image of the late actress by the foot of the vanity, "Where did _that_ come from?"

She glanced down at it momentarily, "_That _is just one of the many gifts _Victoria_ brought back from her little trip to California last week."

"How typical." he scoffed, "My mom does the exact same thing. She dissapears for weeks at a time and thinks she can make up for completely abanding her only child, by bringing me back bullshit presents even if-"He paused, noting the sudden crestfallen look on her face, "Hey..you okay?"

She looked up and gave him a small smile, "Yeah, yeah. Everything's good. I just-" she pursed her lips together, "They never _call_, y'know? And they just show up with expensive gifts and think that makes up for leaving their teenage daughter to take care of herself for weeks at a time."

"Brooke..." he sat up "C'mere." he said softly.

She stood up and walked over to him, leaning her head against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist, "It's okay." he whispered against her hair. "Look, who needs them right? I think we've both done a pretty good job of taking care of ourselves. Of taking care of each other. So what if they don't call or come home often? We don't need them right?"

She exhaled, feeling the faint build up of tears behind her eyes, "I know." she whispered, "But, just once I wished they would at least _pretend_ to care. Just sometimes, alone in this big empty house...I can't help but feel _alone,_ y'know?"

"Hey," he protested lightly, cupping her chin gently and bringing her hazel eyes to meet his blue ones, "You're not alone okay? You've got Haley..and you've got me. You'll _always _have me." he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, leaning down to brush her lips lightly with his.

"Hmmm," she leaned into his kiss, her hand reaching out to caress his cheek. She pulled back a little, sighing happily. "I love you." she whispered staring adoringly into his eyes.

"I love you too." he smiled down at her softly, leaning his body into hers just a little bit more. "I'll always, _always_ love you Brooke Davis."

* * *

"Okay, I'm going to make this quick." Haley began as she spotted Felix by the bleachers right before the game, "I'm going to tutor you, but there's going to be a few ground rules. One, you never _ever_ speak to me unless it's concerning the subject matter. And that applies not only during our sessions but just generally _period_. Two, you are never to be late and the sessions will be when and where I schedule them." She paused, "And three, if you so much as make any insinuation or hit on me or try to pull anything in any way…I'm ending it. No questions asked. Got it?"

"You're really going to help me?" he asked a smug grin crossing his face, completely ignoring everything she just said.

She sighed, "Look my instincts are telling me you're full of crap and that after all the stunts you've pulled, the last thing you deserve is my help. But yes, I'm going to do it. Not because I really want to, but because it's the right thing to do. So I'll see you tomorrow, by the river front. At 7:00. Sharp."

"Wait, tomorrow? But tomorrow's Saturday." He protested.

"Right. So you better not get too drunk tonight, or better yet. Why don't' you just stay home altogether? I doubt anyone will miss you at Nathan's."

"But-"

"Look." She interrupted, "I've already wasted enough time with you today. _Don't_ make me waste anymore, okay? It's 7:00 tomorrow or nothing. You decide."

Felix grinned smugly as he saw her walk away. She gave in. And so fast. _Well done. _He mentally patted himself on the back. He settled himself on the bleachers, completely satisfied with himself. He noticed both Scott brothers glaring at him from where they stood on the court and he just smirked at them, laughing as their annoyance only grew.

* * *

"Haley!" Lucas jogged over to the sidelines, intercepting the petite blonde as she walked by."Hey, I need to talk to you."

She looked at him, her pretty brown eyes guarded, "Why?, I'vesaid all I needed to say to you."

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "Look, I understand why you would still be upset with me. You're right. I shouldn't have read your journal. And I'm sorry. I really am, but that day in the tutor center…I was in a really dark place. With basketball, Dan,Nathan…just everything…and then I read some of your lyrics and it gave me light. It gave me hope. And-"

"Look that's great for you and all…." she interrupted him, "but you just don't get it do you? You read a part of me that's sacred. That's _private_." She rubbed her elbows with her hands and looked back at him, "And you had no right doing that. Do you have any idea what that means to me?" she shook her head and looked to the ground, "They may be nothing and not mean anything but it's a-"

"That's where your wrong Haley." He rebuked softly, cutting her off, "Because they mean something to _me_. And if it's that important to you..then it's not nothing. It's everything…and to the ones that care about you, that means the world."

She looked up in surprise, an unrecognizable emotion sweeping through her at his words. She exhaled and wrapped her arms around herself, smiling as she watched him jog back onto the court.

* * *

The game started promptly on time and despite the team's best efforts they trailed behind by 2 points the entire game.

Whitey ran his hand over his face in frustration, looking nervously at the ticking time on the dashboard. He signaled to the referee, "Time out!"

The boys in black and blue huddled around the coach as he went over with them what exactly he wanted to see.

"Okay, we've got exactly…" he glanced up at the clock, "18 seconds left on the clock. We need a basket to tie or a 3 pointer to win. But I don't want a tie. You guys are giving me the win." He stated firmly looking at each one of his players in succession, "You guys are going to go back out there and run black for Nathan."

He turned to his star player, "If they double you, fight through them and take your shot when we have five seconds left. All-right, let's go! Raven's on three."

"One, two, three, Ravens!"

They all jogged back onto the court and just a couple of seconds went by before Jake intercepted the ball from the defense and inbounded it over to Tim. Tim dribbled it and found Nathan open sending the ball his way.

Nathan caught the ball smoothly and found himself double teamed. He did a quick turn and shot up in the air, flicking his wrists gracefully, the ball hitting the heel of the rim. Jake ran past the defense and caught the rebound. He turned to his left and saw that Lucas was wide open behind the 3-point line. He bounced the ball over to him and the blonde caught it. He looked up and took a deep breath before flicking the ball up into the air. He held his breath, ignoring the buzzer sounding off and watched as the ball flew over to the net.

It sank nicely in and the entire gym erupted into cheers and applause.

"Unbelievable!" the announcer boomed over the speakers, "Lucas Scott with the 3-pointer at the buzzer, and the Tree Hill Ravens are still undefeated! And I tell you what, if you're going to play the Ravens this season, you better take note, there is a new Scott in town!"

Jake ran over to him and pulled him into a quick man hug, "Yeah! That's what I'm talking about Luke!"

Lucas grinned back and looked up towards the cheerleaders as the whole team, minus the younger Scott, swarmed around him. Peyton was beaming and her pom poms were shaking excitedly in the air. His eyes caught hers and he raised his fist in the air in victory, smiling as she mouthed, "You rock!"

She turned to the other girls, grinning and lead them into a chant chorusing her best friend's name.

* * *

Lucas walked out of the boys' locker rooms after a quick shower and headed back to the gym. He pushed through the double doors and glanced around, his eyes searching the room for his mom and uncle.

"Hey man! Nice game!" a guy he didn't recognize patted him on the back as he walked by.

He couldn't help but grin, "Thanks." His grin only grew wider when he spotted his uncle and his mom walking towards him. Both with equally huge grins on their face.

Keith held up his hand for a high-five, "That was an awesome game, Luke." He remarked proudly, "You rock!"

"Thanks, Uncle Keith." He turned to his mom and leaned down to hug her small frame.

"Y'know…" Keith started as the three made their way towards the exit, "For a kid that was about to quit…that was something to see."

"No it wasn't." he rebuked, shaking his head, "I picked up fouls too early, and I was slow getting back into it."

His uncle laughed, "Luke, go with it okay? You did great."

"You were awesome out there." His mom agreed with a radiant smile on her face.

He laughed, "Thanks guys. I'll see you guys in a bit. I'm going to wait for Peyton." He gave them a small wave as they exited the double doors.

Keith turned to Karen as they walked down the school halls, "You know…you did pretty good, too."

Karen pressed a hand over her heart and smiled, "I can breathe now."

* * *

"Nathan!" Brooke pushed through the crowd that still lingered and flung her arms around his neck, "How's my star basketball player?" her eyes twinkled as she leaned in for a kiss.

He shrugged her off, slightly irritated by her characteristic perky demeanor.

She seemed not to notice as she tucked her arm through his and leaned into him, "You played an awesome game tonight Babe. 15 points!"

"Are you kidding me?" he replied irritated, "I played _terrible_. You know how many games I've scored twice that?"

"What are you talking about? You looked great from where I stood."

"And _that's _why you're a cheerleader." He mocked, "You don't know anything about basketball."

She peered up at him surprised, "Ohh. Okay. I know what this is about." She said knowingly, "You're upset because of how well Lucas played tonight."

"Yeah, right." He scoffed, "So he scored 12 points, 3 of which gave us the win. So what? It's not like he's the next Bryant or anything."

She sighed, "Then why are you upset?"

"I'm _not _upset." He replied more harshly than he intended to.

She ignored his tone and hooked her arms around his waist, "I don't believe you." she smiled up at him coyly, " But what do you say we get out of here and head over to the beach house before your party and…."she leaned forward to place a small kiss on his mouth, "I'll make it all better Baby."

"Why is that always your solution to everything?" he pulled away from her, "Damn it Brooke. Not everything has to be about sex."

She pulled back to look at him in disbelief, looking hurt for a second. "Whatever." She said curtly, shrugging it off. "Suit yourself. I'll see you later."

She disentangled herself from him and pivoted on her heel, striding off in the opposite direction.

"Brooke…" he called out, in a half-hearted attempt. She didn't turn around and he slumped down in the bleachers, not really finding it in himself to care. Truth, be told, he had better things to worry about. Like his father walking towards him angrily.

* * *

"15 points?" Dan crossed his arms over his chest, "Way to go under your point average on your second game son. What the hell was with you tonight?" he demanded.

"What?" he replied defensively looking up at his father from where he sat, "It was 15 points with 8 assists. It was a damn good game." Sure, he wasn't all too happy with his performance tonight, but he'd never admit _that_ to his father.

"For who?" he retorted, "You or your _brother_?"

Nathan recoiled, "So the punk got the winning shot? So freaking what?" he rolled his eyes and stood up, "I swear everyone's acting like he's Bryant or something. Anyone could've made that shot. He got lucky."

"Lucky or not, _you _should've been the one making that shot." He shook his head as his son frowned at the floor, "You don't even see it do you? It's not about him taking that winning shot. Although this is where your downfall starts. Tonight it's the winning shot…next time he takes all your shots, scores more points than you..and then you know what happens? Whitey gives him your spot and you don't even care do you?" he paused for effect, "I thought this was_ your_ team. But apparently you're letting that slip away too."

* * *

Lucas glanced momentarily at his watch as he looked around the almost deserted gym. His mom and Keith had just left and had promised him and Peyton a nice dinner waiting for them back at the café, in celebration of his performance tonight. But Peyton had yet to come out of the girl's locker rooms. His stomach grumbled hungrily and he glanced once more at his watch, willing her to hurry up.

"Hey." A soft voice called out behind him and he swiveled around in surprise.

"Haley…" he breathed, his heart pounding in his chest, "Wha-" he cleared his throat, "What are you still doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you." she bit her lip, "I've been sort of avoiding you."

"Yeah…" he nodded slowly, "You sort of have. Not that I blame you. I deserved it. I-I shouldn't have snooped through your journal like that."

"Yeah, you shouldn't have." She agreed softly. She stared at him, her eyes holding his, "Lucas…did you mean it?"

"What?"

"What you said earlier…did you mean it?"

He looked over at her, her eyes were drawn to him and there was hidden emotion in them. He smiled, "Every word of it."

She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, catching him completely off guard. "Thank you." she whispered in his ear.

He exhaled in pleasant surprise and tentaviley wrapped his own arms around her slender waist, "For what?"

She smiled against him, "For making me believe in my music again." she pulled back slightly and brushed a soft kiss on his cheek, letting her lips linger on his skin for a second. She stepped out of his embrace and smiled, "I'll see you at Nathan's?"

He nodded, trying to find his voice after her small gesture.

"By the way…" she turned around and grinned, "Awesome game tonight Luke."

He couldn't help but grin back and he stood rooted to the same spot, his hand reaching out to touch the spot where her lips had just pressed moments ago. He exhaled deeply and turned around to find his best friend smirking at him.

"So you make the winning shot and suddenly they're all over you." she teased. "Look at you All-Star."

He blushed slightly and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "I told you. All she had to do was see my killer jump shot. Remember?" He grinned, remembering their conversation a while back.

"You have the goofiest grin on your face." She shook her head amused, "It's disgusting."

He pretended to glower at her, "Shut up."

She laughed, "So was that the icing on the cake on this wonderful night? You were awesome Luke. 12 points, 5 assists a_nd_…" she paused dramatically, "The winning shot." She threw her arms around him, "Ohhh.I'm so happy for you."

He laughed as he hugged her back, "It's all up hill from here, Peyt." He agreed happily.

She wrapped her arms around him tighter, pleased that things were finally going his way. He seemed much lighter and just happy. That in turn, always made her feel more joyous.

The happy smile on her face faltered slightly as she caught a sight of something somewhat unsettling. Across the gym, a couple of feet away, she could clearly see Dan and Nathan engaged in an obvious heated discussion. Well, more like _Dan_ really. The younger Scott was just standing there, glaring at the floor.

She pulled out of Lucas's arms slowly and watched as the older man stormed off, leaving the raven-haired boy to slump down in defeat on the bleachers.

There was but a fraction of a second before he looked up as if feeling her gaze. She found herself taking a deep breath, totally thrown off guard by the sudden vulnerability she could see reflected in his blue eyes.

She felt sympathy pulling at her heartstrings and was surprised by the sudden urge to go and talk to him. See if he was okay or something. She wouldn't though. So she just shot him a small smile.

He smiled back at her hesitantly, wondering why she was looking at him that way. He tried to read the expression in her eyes, but just as suddenly as she had turned to him, she turned away facing his blonde nemesis in front of her. Frowning slightly, he stood up and threw his sports bag over his shoulder, sauntering towards the exit.

"What was that?"

"What?" Peyton blinked up at Lucas, catching the annoyed glint in his blue eyes.

"You looked over and you smiled at him. **Him**." He stressed, "Why?"

"Lucas…" she shook her head, "It was nothing. Look, I barely even know him."

"Barely?" he asked incredulous, "Peyton please tell me that's not some sort of euphuism that you're getting to know him at all."

"Okay, so maybe we've talked a couple of times." She admitted hesitantly, "Well, more like he's _annoyed_ me several times but-"

"Annoyed you? Sure doesn't look like it judging from that smile." He mumbled.

"Lucas…" she pressed her lips together and shook her head. "Don't you think you're reading just a little too much into it? So I've talked to him a couple of times, so what? That doesn't mean anything."

He looked back at her, not quite believing her, "You say that now." He shook his head and exhaled, "Great. That's the last thing I need. My best friend crushing after my jerk of a brother." He muttered.

She glanced back at Nathan's retreating form, "Trust me." she shook her head and laughed, "I am _**not**_ crushing after your brother."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N Hey guys I am soo sorry for the very late update. Wow, I can't believe it's been more than a month! I hope you guys haven't given up on this story because I certainly haven't, trust me there is waaay more to come! I had a lot going on but I'm very glad to be back, and I'm glad I finally got a chance to post this chapter up. I have to admit it was an extremely challenging chapter (the hardest one for me so far) and it's a very looong chapter, but hopefully you guys won't mind ;). Please review! And hope you guys like it.**

Nathan was not particularly in a celebratory mood. In fact, his spirits were pretty low and the last thing he felt like doing was hanging with his teammates drinking back shots at that night's party.

It was bad enough that he knew he hadn't played his best and that a certain blonde nemesis had scored the winning shot. But his Dad bad reminded him of that fact not only once, but _twice_ when he'd caught up with him in the school's parking lot.

And to top it off, all he'd heard the entire evening was how _well_ Lucas had played and that thanks to his last shot they were still undefeated.

Of course his friends knew better than to sing Lucas's praises. But that didn't stop everyone else from doing so. He didn't know what was worse…hearing everyone else comment on it or knowing his friends were deftly trying to avoid bringing up the game as if afraid to piss him off, though he knew they were pretty stoked from winning.

He looked up as he heard the slight commotion coming from the front door and scowled as he watched two familiar blondes walking in. His scowl only deepened upon witnessing several guys high-five Lucas and pat him on the back in obvious show of congratulatory praise.

_How freaking sweet_, he thought sourly catching Haley's bright smile as she walked side by side with the tall basketball player. She was obviously enthused by the warm welcome the other boy was receiving and was smiling happily and talking animatedly. _Every part the perfect and proud girlfriend, _he thought rolling his eyes to himself in disgust.

He was interrupted from his thoughts at the smooching sounds coming his left."Hey Nate!" Tim quipped loudly as the two blondes walked their way, "What do Haley and a vacuum have in common?"

Nathan turned around and smirked, knowing where Tim was going with this."They're both good at picking up trash."

"Hey, Haley I hear taking on charity cases looks _really_ good on college applications." Tyler joined in laughing. "And apparently you're filling out yours a little early."

"Even if it _is _a lost cause." Nathan smirked, turning his attention to the petite blonde. "What's the matter Haley? Not going to stand up for the little punk this time? And here _I_ thought that was your specialty." he crossed his arms and stared at her coldly.

She stared back at him, for the first time unsure of how to respond. Ignoring the challenge in his blue eyes, she turned to Lucas noticing his tense stand and the clenching of his fists. She grabbed his hand, not giving him a chance to respond. Without bothering to dignify them with a response, she simply strode past them, unwilling to let their crude comments faze her.

"Yeah, Haley. Nice move!" Tim hollered, "I'm sure you'll get extra points with your little boyfriend for that one. Hey, he might even give you his flea collar!" he turned to the guys, "Like a promise ring, get it? Only it's a flea collar because he's a dog…." he grinned, looking utterly proud of himself as the rest of the guys laughed and high-fived him.

Nathan ignored them, glaring after Lucas and Haley as they dissapeared out of sight hand in hand. She hadn't even responded to their comments, he thought slightly put off by her reaction. She'd just ignored them and walked away, like she could care less what they thought. Like it wasn't even important and she didn't care what they thought. No. Like she didn't care what _he_ thought.

He still couldn't believe Haley had chosen Lucas's side in all of this. Why did she even care so much? She'd known the punk what, like 2 weeks? Whereas, she's known him practically all of her life. But she'd quickly disregarded that fact just to come to the defense of the bastard. He knew the reason, though she hadn't admitted it that day to him. But he'd seen it written on her face. Clearly. And apparently, what she felt for that punk, was definetely more important to her than the lifetime she'd known him.

Whatever. Screw them.

It was Friday, and there was no way in hell, he was going to let that ruin his weekend.

* * *

"What the hell is their problem?" Lucas asked irately, turning to Haley as they neared the kitchen.

"Oh, you mean besides displaying their typical asinine behavior?" she rolled her eyes, "I wouldn't heed their immature comments."

"No." he shook his head, "I meant with _you_. Sure, they were taking jabs at me…but strangely they were directed at _you_. I've never seen them intentionally try to cut you up like that. Especially Nathan." He peered at her curiously, "What's going on with you two?"

She walked over to the keg, avoiding his gaze, "What do you mean?"

"Well, I guess I've kind of noticed umm..tension between the two of you lately."

"Well that's just Nathan for you." she replied lightly, handing him a full cup of beer. "He's got these incredible mood swings between games. Sometimes you're on his good side and sometimes you're not. It's nothing." She shrugged trying to downplay the situation.

"Right. But like I said, I've never seen _you_ at the receiving end of one of his tirades."

"Well maybe I'm not his favorite person right now." She finally admitted. "I mean aside from you." She smiled at him playfully.

"Of course." He smiled back, staring at her thoughtfully. "Is that it? Is that what they really think?"

"What?"

"That I'm uh…" he cleared his throat, "Your boyfriend? Is that why they're being jerks?"

_Your boyfriend._ Feeling a slight blush creep up her cheeks, she took a sip from her drink to cover the slight uneasiness. "Umm…could be. I don't know. But then again, do they really need a reason? " she grinned ,"Maybe they're just threatened with your new star status, y'know because apparently you're the uh _bomb _now."

"The bomb huh?" he shrugged, "I guess I _have _been told once or twice how amazing I am."

She laughed, "You're not going to let it get to your head are you?"

"Who me? Nah." He grinned, waving it off, "Besides I think one arrogant Scott in this town is more than enough."

"Yeah…" she giggled, "Hey, I know I said it earlier…but tonight was your night Lucas. You played good, like _really_ good and…." she paused, reaching over to squeeze his hand lightly, "I'm really happy for you. Because I knew you could do it and it was just a matter of time before you believed it too. You're an amazing player Lucas Scott."

"Thanks Haley." He replied softly, thinking of how perfectly her hand seemed to mold into his, "It really means a lot."

She cleared her throat suddenly realizing how close they were standing. "How about a toast?" she suggested raising her cup in the air. "To an amazing game. And to what I'm sure will be an amazing season for you #3."

"To new beginnings." He agreed, raising his cup to meet hers. He took a sip, smiling as he realized he meant that in more ways than one.

* * *

Brooke walked around the beach house aimlessly, sipping her drink and feeling more than just a little bored. She'd been playing their now ritual drinking game with the cheerleaders and some of the guys, but had quickly gotten bored. Despite being ticked off with her boyfriend, she realized it really was no fun without him around.

Deciding she needed something a little stronger she made her way through the crowded living room and into the deserted kitchen. She opened the cupboard above the sink, pushing several cans of food out of the way before coming across what she'd been looking for. _Jackpot! So much for your secret stash Deb, _she thought gleefully as she stood on her tip toes and reached for the brand new bottle of Smirnoff Cranberry Vodka.

Satisfied, she twisted off the top and eagerly poured the clear liquid into her cup. Setting the bottle aside, she brought it up to her lips and swiftly emptied it in one big gulp.

Wiping her hand across her lips, she closed her eyes momentarily and braced her hands on the counter waiting for the familiar dizziness to pass.

Once it did she reached for the bottle again, uncapping it and rapidly filling her cup up to the brim.

"Whoa, slow down." Nathan came up behind her and took the cup from her hands. He shook his head, eyeing the now half-empty bottle, "What are you doing? Ever heard of alcohol poisoning?"

"Ever heard of backing the hell off?" she snapped, pushing him away and reaching across the counter for the bottle.

"Brooke…what the hell?" he demanded, swiftly moving the bottle behind him and out of her grasp. "You may be pissed off at me but I'm not going to let you drink yourself half to death."

"Oh, please,and _I'm_ the drama queen?" She scoffed, "Don't flatter yourself. I could care less."

"Oh, really?" he raised an eyebrow, "Because you only hit the bottle when you're really upset or angry about something."

"Okay, you know what? You're right." She responded hotly, "It _is_ about you. Because honestly? Being your girlfriend and having to put up with your shit is reason enough to want to suck up every last drop of alcohol in the entire fucking planet!"

Despite the sting and anger her words caused him, he chose to ignore it knowing they'd never get anywhere if he fought back. He exhaled and took a step towards her, "Brooke, I'm sorry okay? I know I was an ass to you earlier but-"

"Hold on….the great Nathan Scott is _apologizing_?" she pushed him away, bringing her hand up to her chest in mock astonishment, "And they said this day would never come. I mean it has to be the Apocalypse or something if _you're_ apologizing for being a jackass right?"

"Whatever Brooke." He snapped, slamming the cup back in front of her, "Screw you."

"Screw _me_. Yeah, well maybe you should." She shot back, picking the drink up, "Might help relieve your fucking male PMS."

"Male PMS?" he turned around, shooting her a look of disbelief. "Are you kidding me?" he shook his head, "You don't even get it do you?"

"Get what? That you're self-centered son of a bitch who thinks the entire world revolves him and whatever stupid little problems are plaguing him this week? So you only scored 15 points, so what? Get the Fuck over it! You still played your best!"

"That's just it." he muttered through gritted teeth, "I didn't."

"What are you talking about?" she asked exasperated, "I saw you out there okay? You did a pretty damn good job so I don't understand why the hell you're so upset!"

"Well maybe not everyone saw the game the same way you did!" He shot back bitterly.

"Not everyone…what?" she stared at him confused and he looked away. After a couple of seconds she exhaled deeply, her anger deflating rapidly. "Nathan…" she began, her tone a lot softer, "Did your…is this about Dan? Did he say something to you?" she shook her head, "Of course he did. Dan Scott wouldn't be happy if you averaged 50 points a game." She retorted, answering her own question. She walked over to stand in front of him, placing both hands on his shoulders, "Don't let it bother you Baby. Screw whatever he said to you okay? You played an awesome game, regardless of how many points you scored or not. And all that matters is that _you _know that." When he didn't say anything, she frowned, "You don't think you did." She stated.

He exhaled and shrugged, still refusing to look at her. She bit her lip, reaching out to cup his face, "Nathan…" she said gently, "If this is about Lucas-"

"It's not." he denied in a sharp tone.

"It is." She nodded, knowingly, "So the guy scored the winning shot, so what? Let him have it. How many times have youcarried the team to victory after victory? How many times have you been the region's MVP? You bust your ass out there and you never play less than your absolute best. Look at me." she demanded softly, turning his face towards her, "You're still the star of this team, and one good night from him is not going to change that okay?" she paused frowning, "Look your Dad's an ass. And his expectations are absurd and ridiculous. But you're and amazing player. And I hate him for making you believe otherwise. You're the one who told me yesterday that I didn't need my parents. That I was doing fine on my own. And now I'm telling you the exact same thing." she smiled, "Remember? We've got each other."

"Yeah.." he finally smiled back, feeling the familiar rush of affection for her, "Always."

"C'mere." She muttered, reaching out to grab a handful of his shirt and pulling him so that he was mere inches away from her. She linked her hands behind his neck and brought her lips to his in a deep, passionate kiss that left them both breathless.

"What was that for?" he smirked slightly after he pulled away from her, trying to catch his breath.

"That Baby was my way of saying I'm sorry ….and this" she whispered pulling him by the collar into another searing kiss…"Is to show you just how amazing I think you really are."

"Hmm." He murmured, wrapping his arms around her waist, that familiar twinkle coming back into his blue eyes, "Want _**me**_ to show you how amazing I think _**you**_ are?" he whispered, pushing her backwards so that her back was up against the counter. His foul mood had instantly been turned around, and it wall all thanks to the beautiful girl staring back at him adoringly. She knew exactly what to say and do to make him feel better...always pushing her own anger at him to the side to accomplish that. "I love you." he said softly looking into her eyes deeply, realizing at that moment just how much.

"I love you too..." she giggled, "Now, how about you show me how much?" she giggled, bringing her arms up to his neck and pressing the full length of her body against his, eliciting a groan. "Nathan, I've never…" She leaned in and whispered in his ear, eyeing the fairly sized 2-door wooden pantry on the other end of the kitchen.

"Really?" he whispered in almost awe, pulling back to look at her to see if she was serious.

"Uh-huh." She nodded, rewarding him with that dimpled smile that always made his heart beat faster, "So what do you say Superstar? Are you _up_ for it?"

"Hell yeah." He growled, picking her up in one swift motion and carrying them both across the empty kitchen.

* * *

It was a little past midnight when Nathan stumbled out the front door and into the front porch. Leaning over the railing he closed his eyes as his stomach lurched violently, instantly punishing him for the large amounts of alcohol he'd consumed in a little over an hour. After a few seconds he straightened up and rubbed his hand across his mouth, extremely glad that the party was raging on full force inside and had not spilled outside like normally. He'd been slinging back shot after shot with the guys in an ongoing contest and although he'd never admit it to anyone...it had been way more than he could handle.

"Great." a sarcastic voice called out behind him, "The perfect picture of teenage stupidity mixed in with too much booze on full display in front of me."

He looked up, surprised to realize that he wasn't alone. Peyton was sitting on the porch swing, rolling her eyes and shaking her head at what she had just witnessed.

"Well, hey there Ms. President." he grinned, turning around to face her, ignoring her snide comment,"Where have you been hiding all night? I was beginning to think you didn't show up."

She raised an eyebrow, turning to face him as he stumbled over and plopped down next to her, "Looking for me?"

He shrugged, giving her a side-long look, "What if I was?"

"Uh-_huh."_ she took a sip of her drink, "And what brings you out here? I mean, asides from the fact that you obviously can't handle your alcohol."

He shook his head and smirked, "Y'know, I'm beginning to think you're a little anti-social Sawyer. And maybe just a little strange. Here you are out by yourself at a raging party while the rest of the-"

"90210 Barbie wannabe squad is getting plastered and sloppily hooking up with the first random body?"she suggested wryly, cutting him off, "Sorry, but I'd rather be a little strange than just one of the sheep."

He couldn't help but chuckle, despite the fact that she'd just directly mocked the entire cheerleading squad. "So, then why do you do it?"

"What?"

He shrugged, "Cheerleading. Why do you do it? Because you obviously don't fit the mold, now do you?"

"Why do _you_?"

He grinned smugly, "What are you talking about? I don't do cheerleading...the captain yes, but that's another story."

"Ugh. Spare the details. "She rolled her eyes, "You know what I meant."

He leaned back, resting his arm on the wooden rung, "Well because I'm good at it." he responded simply.

"Oh, and _I'm_ not?"

He smirked, "Oh, nobody can deny that you're certainly a crowd pleaser."

She shot him a dirty look and he shrugged innocently, "It doesn't really seem like your thing. Not to mention the fact that you scorn the whole deal half the time and look like you'd rather be doing something else entirely."

"Well at least you're not completely oblivious." she replied wryly, "But I have my reasons."

"Like Lucas?" he asked knowingly.

"Not that it's any of your business." she exhaled, "But my mom was a cheerleader at Tree Hill High." she admitted.

"Huh." he said after a moment, looking at her thoughtfully, "I guess we may be more alike than I thought."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well maybe I know where you're coming from. Look don't get me wrong, I love the game and everything. I really do. And I'm _good _at it, y'know? But sometimes..." he paused, staring at the ocean in front of them, not really knowing why he was suddenly being so open about this, with her of all people. "I've always dreamed about making it to the NBA. That has always been my ultimate goal but..."

"But what?"

He exhaled, "But somewhere along the line...it got twisted into _his_ dream. _His _goal. Does that make sense? It's like..it stopped being about me. And it became about him. Him and his failed dreams. Sometimes I feel like his living his basketball career through me." he turned his blue eyes to her, "Is that what cheerleading's become for you?"

She stared at him, slightly taken aback by his admission. "I-" she shook her head, swallowing against the sudden lump in her throat, "That's-that's not why I'm doing it. It's just the exact opposite actually." she replied softly, staring down into her cup.

It suddenly dawned on him that despite their several conversations throughout the past week, he still knew practically next to nothing about her. He knew the basics, like the fact that her Dad was gone most of the time and that she had grown up with Lucas and spent most of her time at his house. But it now occurred to him that she had never directly mentioned her mother. And he'd never asked her about her. Catching the sudden sadness reflected in her green eyes, he realized that in many aspects she was still very much a mystery.

"Your Dad's an ass."she remarked suddenly, in a desperate attempt to get off the subject of her mom.

"Of course." he scoffed, automatically rolling his eyes "The whole illegitimate son deal-"

She shook her head, "I meant with _you_."

He looked up, unable to hide the surprise in his blue eyes. "Uhh.." he cleared his throat, unsure of how to respond. "Well, yeah he can be a real hard ass sometimes." he began, a bit hesitantly. "But like I said, basketball is the most important thing to him. He likes to push me, make sure I always stay on top of my game-"

"Yeah, well he has a fucked up way of doing that." she raised an eyebrow,"Tell me, is he always that hard on you?"

He shrugged, feeling a bit uncomfortable at her sudden curiosity, "You know everyone always thinks Lucas got the screwed up end of the deal." he paused, shifting so that he was looking at her, "Sometimes...I guess sometimes it feels like the other way around."

"I don't think Lucas has ever thought of it that way."

"Neither have you." he pointed out.

"Maybe not." she agreed, biting her lip and turning to look at him, "But it's a lot easier to see something one way when you're on the outside looking in."

He sat there for a couple of moments, sifting through his own thoughts. On the one hand, he couldn't believe he was talking to her about his Dad and their issues. It wasn't just the fact that it was Peyton, but more simply the fact that he was talking about it to _anyone_. He wasn't someone that so easily opened up about this kind of thing. Sure, he and Brooke talked about it sometimes. But that was partly due to the fact that he was always trying to justify why he was such a jerk or trying to apologize for pissing his her off and using that as leverage. It sounded screwed up, but sometimes that was the case.

And it made him feel peculiar to be talking to Peyton of all people about it. It was funny, but she had always just been 'that emo girl' that hung out with his hated half-brother. The moody, curly blonde that seemed to have a permanent scowl on her pretty face. But this past week she had become just...Peyton. The girl who was not afraid to tell him exactly what she thought. The girl who so very easily spoke through her art and who's automatic sarcasm was used a way to protect herself from anyone getting too close.

"So anyways.." he began, abruptly changing the subject the only way he knew how, "Lucas must have been pretty upset that you were totally checking me out in front of him."

Her mouth dropped open slightly and she turned to glare at him, "What? I was not!"

He laughed, "Don't deny it. But who can blame you really?" he shifted so that he was leaning over her slightly. His hand reached out to push one of her curls behind her ear, "It's okay." he muttered, "I don't mind being obsessed over by hot blondes."

A faint blush tinged her cheeks and she swatted his hand away, "Stop hitting on me." she demanded.

Nathan smirked and he pulled back, "Why? I think you like it."

She glared at him, "Go work your charm somewhere else Scott, because _I_ think you're seriously delusional."

"I think _you're_ the one who's delusional." he teased, "Just admit it, Sawyer. You're hot for me."

"You're ridiculous." she scoffed.

"Uh-huh. Ridiculously Hot."

"Completely Infuriating."

"Infuriatingly sexy."

"You're completely misguided if you think this is charming." she scoffed.

"Trust me, there's nothing misguided about my charm."

She rolled her eyes and let out a breath of air, "You're asinine you know that?"

"See, right there. You complimented my ass. Ass is fine." he joked, "Geez, Sawyer I have a girlfriend y'know. Restrain yourself."

She attempted to glare at him, but found that she couldn't as her face broke into a small smile.

"Ah…" he nudged her teasingly, "So you _do_ have a sense of humor."

"Of course I have a sense of humor." she retorted, "See, arrogant brain less jocks thinking every girl wants them? Absolutely hilarious."

"You keep telling yourself that Sawyer." he laughed, "And maybe one day you'll believe it too."

* * *

"I need you to go after Lucas."

Rachel nearly spit out her drink and she burst out laughing, "Oh my god." she gasped out, "I think I've had way too much to drink, because I could _swear_ you just told me to go after Lucas."

Felix rolled his eyes, "You think I'm kidding? I want you to pretend to like him."

She stopped laughing and stared at him, realizing he was being serious, "What?" she crinkled her nose, "Ew. Are you insane? On second thought, maybe _you_ need to stop hitting the bottle."

"Rachel! Be serious and just hear me out." he snapped.

"Geez, what's your problem?"

"You see that?" he demanded, pointing across the room, "That's my problem right there. And you're going to help me end it before it even really begins."

She turned around and watched as Haley and Lucas smiled sickeningly sweet at each other, looking as if they were having their own private conversation with their eyes. "Gross." she muttered, shuddering. She turned back to Felix, watching his face darken with annoyance, "Whoa." she laughed, "I didn't think you'd feel so threatened by _that_."

"I'm not." he replied shortly, "But the entire evening, he hasn't left her side. Not for one single second."

"Well, it doesn't look like she really minds."she replied, shooting him an infuriating smile.

"Whatever." he glowered, "She'll change her mind soon enough when she realizes that he's really just like every other guy. After only one thing."

"Really?" she stared at Lucas intently, watching as he stared adoringly at the other girl, seemingly hanging on to her every word, "Yeah, I don't think so. He's after one thing, that's for sure. But I can almost guarantee you it's not what you're thinking."

"I don't care if it's true or not." he rolled his eyes, "I just want her to think that. And that's where _you _come in, my dear easy friend. Get him tangled in your web, y'know work your uh _attributes_ on him."

"You're forgetting something, my dear, delusional friend." she shot back, "But you see that guy over there?" she pointed to the other side of the room, where Nathan was engaged in another drinking contest. "Yeah, him. He'sthe one I want. You don't think I'm so stupid as to suddenly go after his much less hotter brother do you? I have a reputation to keep up y'know."

"Exactly. Nobody would think twice about it. It's not the first time you've changed your mind so suddenly."

"Ha-Ha. You're not helping your cause here Tagaro." she glared at him, "Look, girls like me just don't go out with losers like him okay? I couldn't go through with it."

"Oh, but you will." he assured her, digging in the pocket of his jeans, realizing he was going to have to pull out all the stops. He pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open, scrolling down to an image. "Because I have something that could very much change your mind." he handed her the phone and she stared down at it, her eyes widening.

"Felix, you idiot!" she almost screeched, looking back up at him furiously, "I could kill you for this y'know!"

"But you won't." he smirked, snatching the phone back, "Because now you need me. Like I need you. So what do you say dear partner?"

She stared back at him, realizing that in a way he was blackmailing her. He knew exactly how to corner her. She turned her gaze to the blonde basketball player across the room, studying him critically. It was going to take everything in her to do this. Sure, he wasn't too bad to look at. Some would even say he was in fact gorgeous. But there was more to it than just looks. Like status. Both socially and economically. And that boy certainly did not have either. But she liked a challenge. And this, she realized watching as Lucas tenderly brushed the hair out of Haley's eyes, was definitely going to be one. Hard, but not impossible, because despite all his deep, sensitive philosophical crap...Lucas was simply just another guy. And if anyone knew how to get what she wanted when it came to guys, it was her. Besides, watching Haley squirm was always of great pleasure for her.

"Fine." she finally conceded, turning back to him, "But first, there's something I need you to do for me. I need you to listen very carefully..."

* * *

"Hey, Brooke." Rachel started conversationally, smiling sweetly as she strolled up to her, "I absolutely _love _your dress. It's so chic."

"I know right?" she responded, flipping her hair over her shoulder "Too bad they don't have it in your size."

"Of course not." she returned, without missing a beat, "Designer stores don't usually carry extra smalls. But it's a good thing you can custom order them on line now a days right? You can order them in pretty much any size." she looked her up and down critically, smirking"Even _large_." Glancing quickly over her shoulder, she saw as Felix bounded down the stairs. He catched her glance and grinned, throwing her the thumbs up sign. Rachel grinned back and took this as her chance to put their plan into action.

"Now, if you'll excuse me..." she gave the brunette an infuriating smile, attempting to walk past her, but 'accidentally' loosing her footing, the full cup of beer flying out of her hands. Brooke shrieked as the foamy liquid splattered all over her and went down the front of her dress.

"Oh my god." Rachel gasped, "Brooke, I am _sooo _sorry!" she reached for a couple of napkins that were lying on the near counter, "Here let me help you."

"You bitch!"she yelled, swatting her hands away, "You did that on purpose!"

"What?" Rachel blinked at her innocently, "Brooke, it was an accident. I _tripped_."

She gritted her teeth, seething in anger. She let out an angry shriek and the next thing she knew, she was pushing all her weight on top of the redhead.

"Whoa, whoa Brooke!" Tyler rushed over, upon seeing the scene unfold. In one swift moment he picked Brooke up, "Girl kick back! This ain't no boxing match!"

"It will be as soon as you let me go!" she struggled furiously against his grasp, her eyes trained on Rachel who was obviously holding back her amusement.

"Brooke c'mon, it was an accident." Tyler said in an effort to calm the her down.

"An accident?" she screeched, "Are you insane? That was no fucking accident!"

"Okay, fine whatever. Look, just chill okay?" he rolled his eyes, "It's no big deal. Just go upstairs and change into something else."

"Not a big deal? Do you have _any_ idea how much this cost? And how hard it was to find? You are _such _a guy. Completely clueless. Get off me!" she screeched all in one breath. She pushed past Tyler and went right up to the redhead. "I'll get you back for this slut." she hissed, "You're stupid if you think I'm going to leave it at this. It's not over."

Giving her one last menacing glare, she stomped past them making her way furiously across the living room.

_You're damn right it's not over Davis._ _In fact, I'd say it's just about to begin. Phase 1...successfully complete. _Rachel smiled in self satisfaction, watching as the brunette stormed up the stairs. _The bomb is about to go off, and you my dear Brooke...are too stupid to even hear it ticking away._

* * *

"_I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul."_

"Hmm." Lucas squinted thoughtfully, "William Henley. Invictus, 1875."

Haley exhaled, "Okay." she picked up her drink and took a long drink, "Umm, let's see...okay once in kindergarten, I broke down into hysterics and didn't stop crying until I totally puked all over the teacher."

He started chuckling and she hit him on the arm playfully as they walked along the shore, "Hey! It was the first day." she replied, slightly defensive. "I had serious abandonment issues. Totally embarrassing, I know. And to this day Jake still won't let me forget it."

"Jake?"

"Yup, front and center witness. Anyways, your turn."

"Okay...umm.., '_Mine honour is my life; both grow in one; take honour from me and my life is done.' "_

"William Shakespeare." she replied easily with a grin, "Richard II, 1595."

"Damn." he brought the cup up to his lips and took a long swig, searching his mind for something to share. He and Haley had come up with this game, their own twist to Trivial Pursuit. One would recite a famous quote and the other had to guess the philosopher behind the quote, including the name of the piece and the year it was written. If they got it correct, the other one would take a drink and share something personal, like an embarrassing experience or a secret desire etc. It was an interesting way, to get to know each other even better.

"Okay, well staying on topic, sort of." he began, "Junior High, eight grade to be exact. I landed a date with Jessica Vallee to the Homecoming dance. She was your typical 'It' girl, cheerleader, most popular girl in school, y'know the deal. Anyways, I was incredibly nervous and jittery the entire day. It wasn't everyday that I had a date with the prettiest girl at THJH, I was a mess." he admitted, shaking his head at the memory. "As the day went on, I became more and more nervous and in an attempt to kill those nerves I stupidly drank oh I don't know about 6-7 cans of coke right before the dance." he paused, "We met at the front entrance and as I was trying to pin the corsage on her dress, my hands shaking and still nervous as hell, well let's just say that I ended up pinning more than the corsage on her dress that night."

"Lucas!" she clapped her hand to her mouth, unable to keep from giggling,"Oh my god, that's _awful_!"

"Yeah, tell me about it. The entire year I was known as _Pucas_."

Her giggles turned into hysterics and he attempted to glare at her, but unable to as a smile broke out on his lips and he found himself laughing along with her.

"Oh gosh." she catched her breath, wiping her eyes. "Your story totally beat mine, dude. Okay, okay my turn." she pondered for a second and then turned to him with a sly smile. "And you get bonus points if you get this one."

"I didn't know we were keeping a score here Haley." he grinned teasingly, his blue eyes sparkling, "What's these bonus points you talk about?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself there buddy." she pointed a finger at him playfully, "Get it right first and then we'll see.."she paused for effect, " '_I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go. Things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right. You believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.' "_

"Huh?"

"Oh, c'mon I'm going easy on you with this one."

He rubbed the back of his neck, utterly confused "I just don't...is it a trick question or something?"

She laughed, "Nope. Give up?"

"I want to say yes, but then I think about what these so called bonus points could be and I-"

"Lucas! C'mon you've got..." she checked her wristwatch, "30 seconds."

"Oh, so now you're timing me?" he chuckled.

"10...9...8.."

"Okay, I'll take a shot in the dark here...Helen Keller?"

"Helen Keller? Dude...seriously."

He laughed, "What? So I don't know it, sue me. Besides Helen Keller, she was like the picture of optimism in her days."

"Uh...no. Not even close." she nudged him jokingly, "You are seriously clueless. It's Marilyn Monroe...how can you not know that?"

"Oh, _yeah _sure." he nodded, "Because y'know, my favorite past time is indulging in the great philosophical works of America's favorite blonde bombshell."

"Oh god." she giggled, "_Please_ don't ever let Brooke hear you say that. She'll think you're being dead serious."

He smiled, "Brooke?"

"Yeah, she has like this complete strange obsession with what she refers to as, 'the greatest woman who ever lived.' She has all kinds of memorabilia and stuff. And she just _swears_ by her. It borders on creepy actually." she giggled, "And the sad thing is...I'm not kidding."

He chuckled, "Y'know sometimes I look at you and Brooke and I can't help but wonder how exactly the two of you are best friends. I mean, you're so _different."_

"Yeah, sometimes I wonder that too." she joked, "No, but that's what's so wonderful about us y'know? We're so different, but yet we _click_. It's like that old saying, 'Opposites attract'? That's us. And sure, sometimes we disagree and even fight, but through it all we're always there for each other. No matter what." she smiled fondly, "Brooke's amazing really. She has her flaws like everyone else but if there's one thing that's important to her is the people she loves. And she will do absolutely anything for them. I really don't know what my life would be without her. It'd be a lot duller, that's for sure." she turned to him, "When you've known someone basically your entire life..you're intertwined forever y'know? They stay with you, always."

"I know what you mean." He smiled, "Peyton has been like the one constant thing in my life. I know that no matter where I go, or what happens she'll always be there. I can always count on her to tell me exactly what I need to hear, make me laugh when I really need it, or give me a kick in the ass when I really need it y'know?"

She nodded, "You guys go way back huh?"

"Oh, _waaay_ back." he chuckled, "What about you and Brooke?"

"Actually, it hasn't always been just me and Brooke." she replied, "I've known Jake longer actually. My parents and his, well they go way back into their college years. So, pretty much we've known each other since birth. My parents are his godparents."

"Really?"

"Yeah, most people don't know that. He was an only child, I was the youngest so naturally we bonded and for a long time it was always just me and him. Until first grade." she shook her head and smiled as she reminisced, "Then a little prissy 6-year old Brooke Davis came along." she laughed, "She took one look at me and said, 'Your mommy must not love you very much if she made you wear that ugly shirt.'"

Lucas started laughing, "Seriously?"

"Yeah." she shook her head, "She was _horrible, _but Jake immediately took a liking to her and would always invite her to play with us."

"And I'm guessing that just went overly well with you right?" he teased.

"Jake was my only friend." she shrugged, "I _had_ to put up with her."

"So, the three musketeers huh?"

"Make it four. Little Nathan Scott came along later that year. He already knew Brooke, their parents ran in the same circle. Well, he and Jake hit it off right away, I think Jake was just glad for some male companionship. And after that for a really long time, it was just the four of us. Always sticking together. We were pretty much inseparable."

He looked up surprised, "Really? Jake and Nathan?"

"Yeah, I know what you're thinking. Sure, doesn't seem like it now right?" she paused, staring thoughtfully ahead of her. "I don't really know when it all changed. Maybe the summer before Freshman year...we all just drifted. Nathan's Dad really started pushing him when it came to basketball around this time. Suddenly, it was all basketball drills and around the second week, he shipped him off to some basketball camp. And Jake..well he started seeing that awful girl Nikki. She was the worst, a total manipulator when it came to his time. We never saw him the entire summer. So that just left me and Brooke. We were already best friends, but I think that summer just really strenghtened our bond even more."

He took a sip of his drink, "How did the whole Brooke and Nathan thing happen?"

"Brooke and Nathan? Y'know one day he's hooking up with my sister." she laughed at the look on his face, "Yeah, I _know_. Anyways, one day he's hooking up with my sister and the next he and Brooke are totally all over each other. Everyone thinks it came out of nowhere, but I didn't think so. They're so similar, it was inevitable. And it was _always _there between them. Even as kids, there was always an underlying tone with Nathan and Brooke. I think it was especially more noticeable during middle school. She was always trying to seek his attention, and vice versa. During his and Jake's basketball games, she always cheered for him just a little bit louder." she shook her head, "And for _some _reason, nothing ever looked good enough when it came to just hanging out with 'the guys.'" she smiled, "Anyways, as y'know the rest is history and here we are now."

"Okay, well now that I've got the 411 on the Fab Four..." he teased, to which she rolled her eyes, "Back to the game James, it's my turn."

"I think not! You lost, mister. So, fess up!"

"I didn't lose. You cheated."

"I did not!"

"Yes, you did!" he laughed, "The theme was famous philosophers not-"

"Okay, okay, so I deviated from the subject matter a little bit, so what?" she interrupted, rolling her eyes, "You _still_ lost."

"Fine." he conceded, shaking his head, "I've learned throughout my lifetime, _never_ to argue with a woman. You will always lose no matter what. So I'll give."

She grinned, "That's what I like to hear Scott."

He chuckled, "Okay, so a huge confession you want?" she looked at him expectantly and he exhaled, "Okay, here's one for you." he paused, "My first-kiss-was-with-Peyton." he said quickly.

She nearly choked on her drink and her eyes widened, "I thought you said that you and her..only..what?"

He winced, "Yeah. Look, I promised her I would never tell anyone and it wasn't a big deal, really. It's just, well..we were 13. And extremely curious, hormones were at their peak and-"

"Say no more. I get it."

"It wasn't a big deal." he exhaled, not knowing why he felt the need to explain, "And it was a one time thing. We both realized that."

"Hey, it happens. You know someone your entire life and well, you have those moments of curiosity." she paused, "I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a couple of those myself."

He suddenly stopped and stared at her, eyes squinting, "_Did_ you? Have moments of curiosity? With Jake or..." he cleared his throat, "Or Nathan?"

She stared at him like he was crazy, "Uh.._neither._ No, that's just... Ew. No. I've known them forever. I just meant in general."

"Oh, okay." he said, feeling something like relief at that. It would just be too screwed up for him if the girl he liked had ever had any romantic thoughts for his half-brother, past or not. He didn't know how he would feel about that.

"Okay, last round. Your turn."

"Oh. Right." he rubbed the back of his neck and stared thoughtfully at her, "Okay, well seeing as how we completely deviated from the theme..." he began teasingly, "Here goes...

_I do believe it's true  
That there are roads left in both of our shoes  
If the silence takes you  
Then I hope it takes me too  
So brown eyes I hold you near  
Cause you're the only song I want to hear  
A melody softly soaring through my atmosphere_

"Well, at least I know it's a song." she pursed her lips together, "Can I at least get a clue?"

"Nope."

"I don't know it." she admitted, taking a long sip of her drink, "I'm throwing the towel in."

"Wow, that was easy." he teased, "_I _didn't even have to time you."

"Ha-Ha." she shoved him playfully, "What's the song?"

"Soul meets Body, Death Cab for Cutie." she gave him a look and he shrugged, "Peyton's into all these Indie bands. I listen."

"Any reason for that, uh particular song?" she questioned lightly.

He shrugged, staring at her out of the corner of his eye, "I guess you could say it sorta reminds me of someone."

"Oh, well uh seeing as how I lost..." she took a long sip of her drink and stared ahead of her thoughtfully. She was quiet for several minutes, "I've never been in love." she admitted softly.

He cleared his throat, "Never?"

"I've-I've thought about it, y'know? Is it everything you read about in books, see in the movies?" she turned to glance at him, "How does it feel? How do you even _know? _" she shook her head, "Y'know, I asked Brooke about it once and she told me you just _know._ You don't question it and you can't explain it, but it's just there." she laughed softly, "That just sounds complicated."

"As corny as it's going to sound, love is never complicated." he smiled, "When you're with the right person, you'll be able to just _feel_ it."

"How?"

He cleared his throat and looked away, slightly uncomfortable, "You just will." he responded simply, "They're always on your mind. Your heart beats faster, your pulse accelerates when they're near. Any simple contact can leave you almost breathless and their smile can light up your entire day." he paused, staring out at the water, "Y'know you can hear any song or read any poem and you will always find a line that makes you think about this person. It's about wanting to be a better person, feeling like you can do anything and be anyone, just as long as they're with you." he turned to look back at her, his gaze intense, "It's this overwhelming feeling when you look at them...that there is order and meaning to this world and that there is nowhere in the world you'd rather be." he finished softly.

She looked back at him, mesmerized by his words, "You sound like you know from experience." her voice was very soft, "Have you ever been in love Lucas?"

"Yeah." he smiled, staring deeply into her eyes, "I guess you could say I have."

And she was left to wonder why that thought and the way he was gazing at her left her completely breathless

* * *

Brooke stormed up the stairs and into Nathan's room in a huff. She was absolutely furious. How dare that stupid bitch Rachel do this to her?

"Accident, my ass!" she seethed, stomping over to the the dresser on the other side of the room. Opening the first drawer, she rummaged through the items looking for a clean shirt. She dug through the clothes and let out a sound of frustration upon not finding anything. She yanked out the second drawer angrily. "I _know _I left my Jax Couture sundress here last time! Where is it?" she threw shirt after shirt over her shoulder but still no dress.

What she came across next left her utterly confused. She picked up the very familiar, but yet very out of place piece of clothing. It was her cheerleader's uniform, only it wasn't _hers,_ she realized, staring at the stitched in gold letters on the back of the skirt. _R.G_.

"What? Why is Rachel's..." she swallowed hard and looked back down at the skirt, praying she was making a mistake. But no. The gold letters, stared back at her, clear as water. When she'd first became captain, she'd had everyone's outfits personally tailored, with their initals stitched in to avoid any confusion. It was Rachel's uniform. What was it doing here?

A feeling of dread began to settle heavily in the bottom of her stomach as she let it drop to the floor. With shaking hands she opened the next drawer, only finding more items that she knew didn't belong to her. _Intimate_ items. Her head spinning, she kept rummaging through the drawer, as if desperately digging for any type of explanation.

What she found next left her completely paralyzed.

Her heart stopped beating and slammed into her chest as she shakily picked up the 8x10 frame sized blown up picture and the phone besides it.

_"I need it to replenish my resources after tonight."_

_"Okay, Ew. So didn't need to know that. After all, who knows where your resources have been tonight."_

_"Wouldn't you like to know."_

"No." she whispered, shaking her head furiously, "It can't be."

_How could he do this to me? _Feeling the tears sting behind her eyes, she leaned her entire weight against the dresser as it suddenly became very hard to breathe.

The unbearable heaviness in her chest was suddenly replaced with rage and disbelief and without thinking twice she grabbed the items and flew downstairs.

* * *

"Hey, there handsome."

Lucas swiveled around and looked over surprised at Rachel. The redhead was walking towards him. "Uh..hey."

She went to stand next to him and leaned her elbows on the rails, grinning up at him flirtatiously "What are you doing out here all by yourself cutie?"

"I was actually waiting for-" he cleared his throat and pulled back slightly as she leaned towards him. "Haley."

"Tutor girl?" she raised an eyebrow, "You two have certainly been friendly lately haven't you?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

"But she's not your girlfriend or anything right?" she asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him and taking another step towards him.

"Uh, no." he coughed, pulling away even more as the strong scent of her perfume infiltrated his senses

"Well, that's good."

He squinted at her, "For who?"

She rolled her eyes playfully, "For _me,_ silly. Duh."

"Uh, okay." he looked at her strangely, all the meanwhile looking over her shoulder nervously for any signs of Haley.

"Oh, Lucas." she giggled, not taking the hint and cornering him until his back was flat against one of the posts. "You are _soo _cute when you're nervous." she fiddled with the collar of his shirt, one of her hands snaking behind his neck, "I'm not making you nervous am I?" she teased, grinning in satisfaction as she watched him take a deep breath.

"You are so hot." she murmured seductively not giving him a chance to respond and wrapping her other arm around his neck securely, "And you were totally on fire tonight. You rocked." Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a slight movement and she took this as her sign. Time to go in for the kill.

"A performance like that totally deserves a kiss." she whispered huskily, swiftly bringing his head down to hers and crashing her lips against his.

Haley slid open the glass door to the back porch and the two cups in her hands almost fell from her hands as she stared in shock at the sight in front of her.

She must have gasped or made a sound, because in the next instance Lucas roughly pushed Rachel away and glanced up at her, completely shell-shocked, "Haley."

Rachel however rolled her eyes, "Geez, Haley. Way to ruin a moment."

He stepped away from the redhead and wiped his mouth nervously, "I can-"

"Kiss." Rachel interjected, winking at him, "Yeah, you can kiss all right. Wow, is all I have to say." she turned to Haley, who looked completely dumbfounded, "Now, I have it on pretty good authority what brother is the better kisser. Hmm, I wonder who the better _lover is_.." she laughed at the angry look on the blonde's face. Taking one of the cups from the blonde, she turned to Lucas and held the cup in the air, "Here's to finding out gorgeous." she blew him a kiss,"See ya, #3. Don't be a stranger."

"Bitch." Haley muttered under her breath, watching as the redhead made her way back into the house. Turning her eyes back to Lucas, she sent him a tight smile, handing him the other cup, "Well..can't leave you alone for even a second, before the skanks start marching in huh Scott?" she said, attempting to keep the slight bitterness out of her voice.

"Haley...that was. I did _not_ initiate that. You have to believe me."

"Hey, it's cool." she shook her head, trying to brush it off. "You don't have to explain. Besides it's Rachel, we all know how _friendly_ she likes to be with the basketball players."

"Right." he took a sip of his drink, noticing the slight frown on her face "You're not mad are you?"

"Hmm? Oh, no." she shook her head vehemently. "Of course not." she responed quickly, turning away from him and staring out at the ocean a couple of miles in front of them. She let out a long breath, trying desperately not to think about the tightness in her chest at having witnessed Rachel all over Lucas.

"Oh. Okay." he responded, furrowing his brow, "What did she mean by that?" he inquired.

"What?"

"About knowing what brother was-"

She cut him off, "Look Rachel's just a bitch and she likes to try and stir things up. Don't listen to her."

"Okay, if you say so." he shrugged, not totally convinced that was it but not really wanting to push the subject any more. It was obviously a sore subject between them and something Haley obviously didn't want to delve into.

She exhaled, "So, anyways...how was it?" she smiled teasingly, pushing the prior feelings of slight discomfort away.

"Umm.." he squinted thoughtfully, "Have you ever sucked on a jelly fish with too much lipstick?"

She started laughing, "Oh, my god shut up! You're making that up."

"Maybe." he agreed, laughing with her, "But it was almost just as bad."

* * *

Nathan laughed as he watched Tyler and Vegas try to shakily hold up Tim up by the legs upside down. He cheered along with everyone else as he successfully guzzled from the beer bong.

"Nathan!"

He turned around and blinked in surprise as Brooke strode over to him, her face a mask of devastation. He frowned, "Brooke? Babe, what's wr-"

He was sharply cut off as her hand connected with his cheek, the sound breaking through the loud noise around them.

"Brooke, what the hell?" he demanded, his hand flying out to rub his cheek immediately.

"That's what _I _want to know you son of a bitch!" she screamed, immediately catching everyone's attention. "**What. The. Hell**." she shoved a phone and picture in his hands, "How could you do this to me Nathan?" she yelled tearfully, "And with _HER?"_

He stared down at the picture and he froze, his breath instantly locking in his chest. A heavy feeling of dread began to slowly sink in his stomach and he stared at her, "Where-" his voice came out strangled and he cleared his throat, "Where did you get these?"

"Are you seriously asking me that right now?" she screeched, barely noticing that somebody had turned the music off and everyone was slowly gathering around them. "I found them in your fucking room. Upstairs! Where obviously your little tryst with that whore has been going on for god knows how long!" her hand reached out once more to hit him hard across the chest, "How long Nathan? Tell me! How long have you been fucking that bitch behind my back?"

He grabbed her arms, to stop her flailing movements, "Brooke! Listen to me! I haven't-"

"You haven't what?" she shook him off angrily, "You haven't been cheating on me? Are you going to deny it to me? Say you didn't do it?" she laughed harshly, "Boy, there's a fucking classic guy move! Deny, till the end right? Even when all the fucking evidence is stacked right up against you!"

"What evidence? What are you talking about?" he hollered back, no longer caring himself that they were being heard by the entire junior class. He held up the picture, "Is this it? It didn't mean anything okay! It was just one fucking kiss, not a-"

"Are you kidding me?" she screeched, "Why don't you go upstairs and see everything your preciousl little lover left behind! But, I bet you didn't think I'd find any of it right? You thought you could keep playing me for the poor stupid, naive girlfriend right?" she wiped her eyes angrily, "Well, your game is through Scott! And now I never want to-"

"Hey guys. What's going on?"

Brooke swiveled around, her anger completely going over the edge as she saw the redhead, smiling at them innocently. "You have some fucking nerve." she hissed, between gritted teeth. She strode right up to her, and without giving her a chance to react she landed a clean, straight punch in her face, sending the redhead flying backwards from the force of the blow.

"Ow." Rachel slowly got up, her hand covering her nose. "Nice blow, Brooke." she winced, turning to Nathan she smirked, "So the secret's finally out huh?" she turned back to Brooke, "Aw, sweetie and it took you _this_ long to finally figure it out?"

"Rachel, shut the fuck up!" he spat angrily, glaring at her forcefully. Turning to Brooke, he reached for her hand frantically, "She's lying." he pleaded. "Brooke, please let me explain, there's nothing going on between me and Rachel. I-"

"Just stop! I don't want to hear it!" she shook him off angrily, "And I _never_ want to see you again, you lying cheating bastard. We're over!"

She pushed through the crowd angrily, wanting to get as far away as possible. But not before, turning back and landing another clean punch across the redhead.

* * *

"Brooke!" Nathan called, running after her as she stormed angrily out the front door, "Brooke, wait!" he ran down the front steps and reached out, reaching for her hand. "Baby, please! Just let me explain."he pleaded urgently.

She jerked away from his grasp, whirling around to face him, her eyes hard and unforgiving and he flinched, "Explain what?" she spat out, "That you slept with her? That you kissed her?" she shook her head furiously, her eyes strangely cold. "What's there to explain? You cheated on me Nathan. And nothing you say or do is going to change that."

He hung his head, knowing she was right, but unable to let it go. He couldn't. "Brooke..." his voice cracked and he took a deep breath, trying to fill his lungs with air. "It was a mistake. A momentary, fleeting and extremely stupid mistake."

Her heart constricted painfully and she swallowed through the lump in her throat. "Well, the biggest mistake I ever made was ever loving you. Believing in you. Trusting you." her voice came out strangled and she blinked back tears, "But you know what? I'll never do it again."

"You don't mean that." he shook his head, his voice thick with emotion. "Brooke, I'm sorry. It meant nothing, you have to believe me."

"That's where you're wrong Nathan!" she yelled back tearfully. "Because it meant _everything_ to me_._ It meant enough to end our relationship." she bit her lip, fighting back the tears. "I hope that bitch made it worth it for you, because I will never_ ever_ forgive you for this!"

She turned on her heel and he ran up to catch up with her, swiveling her around, "Brooke, please." he pleaded, desperately searching her eyes, "This can't be it. We can't be over like this."

She closed her eyes tightly, unable to stop the tears from leaking out. "Let me go." she whispered, her voice hollow. "Please." he did as she asked and she wiped her eyes, tiredly. "Nathan.." she took a deep shaky breath, looking at the ocean in front of them. "You said to me, on this exact same beach. Just a couple of days ago..'It's going to be you and me forever." she pressed her lips together to keep them from trembling as the tears continued to flow freely down her cheeks. ""And I believed you. I really did." she choked out. "But your forever means absolutely nothing now."

He looked away, unable to stand the tears in her eyes. Especially knowing he was the reason they were there in the first place. "Brooke.." he whispered hoarsely, "I'm sorry."

She let out a bitter laugh, wiping the tears away angrily. "Your sorry is not worth anything to me anymore." her hand reached up to rip out the silver necklace that hung elegantly on her neck. "You see this?" she grabbed his hand and balled it up in his fist. "It's broken." she whispered, "Just like we are. Forever."

"Brooke..."his voice came out just above a whisper and he shook his head, his heart clenching in his chest as he watched her walk away, but unable to stop her. His mind reeling, he stared down at the necklace in his hand. The one he'd given her on their one-year anniversary. Through a thin veil of tears, he stared at the inscription on the tiny silver heart. _B+N Forever._

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the two familiar forms of Haley and Lucas, walking towards the house, smiling and laughing completely unaware of everything that had just transpired moments ago. Something about that, made something inside of him snap and he was suddenly overcome with anger towards the blonde girl he'd always considered a best friend.

"You must be real fucking happy Haley." he called out angrily. "Thanks for screwing me over, _friend_."

The two blondes stopped and stared at him. "What?" Haley stared at him confused, walking tentatively towards him. "Nathan..are you..what's going on?"

"What's going on?" he laughed harshly, "I can't believe you. We had a fucking _deal_ Haley. I left your little _boyfriend_ alone, you wouldn't tell Brooke about Rachel." he shook his head angrily, "I kept up my end of the deal, but apparently _you_ couldn't resist. Of course." he spat angrily, "_Saint Haley_ always has to do the right thing. She had to find out from _you!"_

Her mouth dropped open and she started at him at a total loss, "Nathan, I didn't-"

"Wait, what?"

They both turned around and Brooke stared at them, looking even more crestfallen than before, if possible. "Haley, you _knew_ about this?"

"No! Brooke, I don't..what's going on?" she looked between them, trying to comprehend the situation.

"Show's over Haley." Nathan sneered, "She knows about Rachel okay? So drop the act. I know _you're_ the one who told her."

"Nathan!" she shouted, "I didn't tell her!"

"No, you _didn't_ tell me!" Brooke cut them off angrily. "That's what you two were arguing about that day at the beach house isn't it?"she stared at them in disbelief as it all started clicking together in her mind. "And that's why you.." she looked at Nathan, "Suddenly left him alone." she pointed at Lucas. "And why you two..." she turned back to Haley and Nathan, "Have been anything but civil this past week." she backed away from them slowly, shaking her head, "I can't believe the two of you would ever stoop so low as to-" her voice broke and she bit her lip and turned on her heel, unable to take anymore.

"Brooke!" Haley ran after her and stopped her "It wasn't like that..I-"

"I can't believe you kept something like this from me Haley!" she cut her off angrily. "Did my feelings mean absoulutely nothing to you? Did you even _consider _them when you made that fucked up deal with Nathan?" she held up her hand, "You know what? Don't even bother. You're just as bad as he is." she gave her an icy stare, "I can't believe I called you my best friend Haley James."

"Brooke!" Haley watched dejectedly as the brunette ran past her, not heeding her calls.

Lucas caught up with her and he placed an arm on her shoulder, "Haley..."

She turned to face him, her face stunned. "I-I can't..I mean..what..." she shook her head and burst into tears. She buried her face in Lucas's shoulder, suddenly comprehending for the fist time how badly she'd screwed up.

* * *

Blinded by tears, Brooke ran towards the back of the house. She pressed her back against the wall, leaning against it for support. She sank down on the sand painfully, burying her face in her hands and taking long deep breaths to fill her cold, icy lungs.

_"I sorta kinda like you Brooke Davis. You're pretty much always on my mind."_

_"You're not jealous are you?"_

_"Of course not! You're my.."_

_"Your what?"_

_"You're testing me aren't you?" _

_"Brooke Davis do you want to be my girlfriend?"_

_"You're mine now."_

_"Look, I've been with a lot of girls okay? But I've never been with them the way I'm with you."_

_"It's scary. The way that I feel about you."_

_"You're going to make it big one day Superstar. You'll be the biggest star the Laker's have ever seen, and I'll be by your side. Cheering you on. Always."_

"_That's a promise."_

_"I missed you."_

_"Let's never fight again."_

_"You are so beautiful and you're all mine."_

_"You got a tattoo?"_

_"We're in it together."_

_"Are you two insane?"_

_"I had this dream last night..."_

_"You wish."_

_"Brooke Davis Scott..Damn, that does sound good."_

_"Was that really your first time?"_

_"I love you."_

_"I can't believe this."_

_"Get out."_

_"I'm sorry."_

_"I don't know about the future. 2, 5, 10 years from now I don't know. All I see is you."_

_"I'll always, always love you."_

_"You and Me...together...forever."_

She shook her head, screaming out in frustration as she furiously tried to block out the hundred of sweet memories that seemed to flood her mind. She dissolved into tears, the huge sobs racking her body.

She couldn't take this. She hated him. She hated _them_. How could they do this to her?

They were the two people she trusted the most in the entire world and they'd both betrayed her in the worst possible way.

She had to get out of there.

Her entire body felt heavy with sadness as she struggled to get up. Her heart felt like it was dying, and there wasn't enough air to fill her lungs, as pain and anger beat as one in her chest.

But only one thing mattered now. And that was getting as far away from there and them as possible.

* * *

"Whoa! Hey watch where you're-" Peyton started as she slammed straight into someone. She paused, "Brooke?" she called out, watching the heartbroken cheer captain rush past her.

"Leave me the hell alone!" she yelled back tearfully, jumping into the powder blue Volkswagen.

Peyton stared after her, as she revved up the engine and peeled out of the driveway. She was utterly at a loss. Never had she seen the girl so upset.

She briefly wondered what could've possibly happened to get the usually cheerful brunette so upset.

Something was very wrong.

* * *

Haley pulled out of Lucas's comforting hold, "Lucas..." she wiped her eyes, "I need to find Brooke. I need to talk to her and explain-"

"Haley.." he cut her off, gently brushing her hair away from her eyes, "She's upset right now and I really don't think-"

"That's exactly why." she replied frantically, "You don't understand, Brooke has this terrible habit of drowning her sorrow in alcohol when she's really upset and I couldn't..what if something happens to her? Please, Lucas." she begged tearfully. "I need to find her and you're the only one who can help me right now."

"Okay." he nodded, immediately understanding the frantic situation. "Let's go."

He put his arm around her to steady her and led her towards the back to Peyton's car. He would just call his best friend later and explain the situation to her. He was sure she would understand.

* * *

Peyton had taken one step inside the beach house and almost immediately knew something was off. The entire atmosphere was almost somber. The party was still going on strong obviously, but there was a sort of thickness in the air, and there were several little groups, just huddled together and whispering to each other. It was as if something huge had just went on and now everyone just sat around in shock absorbing the aftermath.

Figures.

She had been hanging out by the beach the entire evening, preferring her solace to the huge crowd so she had obviously missed something huge.

As she walked outside and down the driveway, she quickly spotted Nathan slumped down in his black-top convertible, drinking heavily from a small flask. She shook her head and walked over to him, leaning over the passenger's side."You really don't learn do you?" she commented, in her usual sarcastic tone, "I thought we'd established earlier that you can't handle your alcohol Scott."

He didn't even turn to look at her, taking a long swig of the flask, "Screw off Sawyer." he muttered.

She straightened up, a bit surprised. "Well, excuse me for-"

He twisted in his seat to look at her and she was suddenly taken aback by his blood-shot eyes. "Look, I'm not in the fucking mood for our little banter routine as you can see." he snapped, "So just leave me the hell alone."

She rolled her eyes, "Fine. Be an ass. I don't even care."she retorted, "But just so you know? I ran into your girlfriend a little while ago and she sped out of here in her VW terribly upset." she crossed her arms, "But judging from _your_ attitude, I wouldn't be surprised if you had everything to do with it!"

"Wait." he sighed, feeling thoroughly defeated, "I'm sorry, okay?"

She walked over to him slowly, her voice a lot softer. "What happened?"

He slumped even further down in his seat, "I screwed up." he whispered hoarsely, his voice thick with unshed tears. He turned to look at her and she was suddenly struck by the sadness inflicted in his blue eyes.

She stared at him quizzically, "What are you talking about? What'd you do?"

He emptied the contents of the flask and sent it flying out the other window, crashing into the floor. "I have to find her." he muttered suddenly, sitting up straight and fishing out the keys from his pocket.

"Are you insane?" she stared at him incredulously as he tried to start the engine. "Nathan! Stop." she leaned across him quickly and snatched the keys from his grasp.

He glared up at her, "Look, I don't need you on my ass right now okay? Just give me the damn keys."

She glared back at him, "How much did you have to drink?" she demanded.

"It doesn't matter." he said irately. "Sawyer, I'm not kidding. Give me back the fucking keys!"

"And neither am I." she shot back. "Are you a complete idiot or what? Oh, wait. I forgot who I was asking. You can't drive!"

"Says who?"

"Says me, dumb ass. The last thing you need to do right now is get yourself into an accident and-"

"Don't tell me you're worried about me?" he scoffed.

She rolled her eyes, "No. More like the hundred of innocents pedestrians you could possibly kill with your stupidity." she opened the driver's seat."Move." she demanded.

"What are you doing?"

"Look, I'll go with you if you really want to go look for Brooke. But, what kind of a person would I be if I let a drunk idiot drive? And what if you stupidly got into an accident? Sure, you'd probably be doing us all a favor but as much as I dislike you, I don't think I could live with that hanging over my conscious."

"Ouch." he muttered. "Are you always this brutally honest?"

She smirked, "Yeah, pretty much." she pushed him over, "C'mon. I'll even let you listen to that crap you call music."

"It's _my_ car." he pointed out.

"Right. But _I'm_ driving."

"Aren't you the one that's always telling me that solitude is really under-appreciated?" he growled as he scooted over to the passenger side, "Well guess what? That sounds really great right about now."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah it's a beautiful thing." she glanced over at him as she started the car, "But something tells me that right now...you're not really in the conditions to be alone."

* * *

"She's not here." Haley realized, looking around the eerily quiet bridge across from the River front. "I don't know where else to go." she admitted as they began the walk back to the car. They'd already tried her house, the bar across town, which she knew Brooke had access to because of her fake ID. They'd even tried the school. But there was no sign of her best friend anywhere.

"Haley..." Lucas began hesitantly, not knowing if it was the right moment to inquire on something that had been plaguing his thoughts since that huge blow up at Nathan's house.

"Yeah?" she turned to him, her face tear-stained.

He shoved his hands in his jeans and shrugged, "Nothing." he replied quietly, deciding against it. "Sorry. Forget it."

She wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep shaky breath, "What is it?"

He shifted nervously, debating with himself for a moment if he should in fact go through with it, considering everything that had just happened. "What was Nathan talking about?" he asked tentatively.

"What are-" a look of realization crossed her face and she began to shake her head, "Lucas..please don't."

"Why did he accuse you of blackmailing him and telling Brooke? And what does any of that have to do with me?" he persisted quietly, despite her protest.

"I-I can't do this right now."

He exhaled,"Haley..I'm just trying to understand."

"Lucas.." she pleaded softly, "I-" she took a deep breath, "Please don't be upset with me, but I blackmailed Nathan into leaving you alone and I wouldn't show Brooke the picture, only..." her eyes teared up again, "Only I didn't tell Brooke anything and now-"

"Wait, what?"

"It wasn't me who told her about the picture," she insisted, "But apparently there was more to it than that and _I_ didn't know. I swear, but now she thinks-"

"Haley, whoa hold on." he cut her off, "Backtrack for a second, you blackmailed Nathan into leaving me alone? Why?"

She stopped walking and stared at him confused, "Why what?"

"Why would you do that for me?"

"Because I- because.." she stared up at him, a shiver running down her spine at the tender way he was looking at her, "Because it was wrong Lucas and-" she stopped, unsure of what to say and feeling utterly confused, "And you told me he wasn't going to leave you alone and-"

"Haley..."

"And even _I _knew he would never back off." she sniffled, "And then the whole Rachel thing happened and he swore it was a mistake-"

"Haley.." he tried again, moving so he was standing directly in front of her.

She shook her head, "And I had the picture and I promised I wasn't going to show it to Brooke if he-"

He gave up trying to get her to stop rambling as he suddenly moved towards her, taking her face in his hands gently and pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

She stared up at him completely shocked, after they'd parted., "Lucas..what..." she took a deep breath, trying desperately to control the rapid beating of her heart.

He didn't answer her, just simply smiled and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek, letting his fingers linger and reveling in the softness of her skin. His breathing was haggard and his heart was beating uncontrollably in his chest.

She shivered at his touch and her heart rate sped up as he closed the distance between them again. She closed her eyes and she could feel his entire body tremble as he pulled her even closer and bent down to gently brush his lips over hers for the second time that night.

* * *

Jake closed the door to the nursery quietly. He stepped out into the hall, momentarily leaning against the door tiredly. It had taken him almost an entire hour to get Jenny to finally settle down. She'd been fussy and restless the entire evening and he'd had no luck in comforting her.

After feeding her and cradling her and singing soothing tunes to her, he'd finally accomplished to put her to sleep.

He was exhausted.

He loved his baby girl to death, but sometimes taking care of her was enough to completely wipe him out. Still, he'd never trade her for anything in the world. She was a blessing in every way.

He made his way downstairs and settled on one of the couches, reaching for the remote control looking forward to a quiet evening of college basketball games. His parents were out of town for the weekend, so he had the entire house to himself.

He surfed the channels and had just settled on a good game when the doorbell rang. He sighed, disappointed and contemplated whether or not to get up, figuring he could easily just let whoever it was think that nobody was home. A few more annoying rings later, and curiosity getting the best of him, he slowly made his way to the front door, wondering who in the world it could be this late at night.

"Brooke?" he frowned and his voice was filled with confusion as he stared at the brunette slumped down on the front steps, a half-empty bottle of Jose Cuervo next to her.

She looked up and he was momentarily taken aback at the crestfallen and tear-stained look on her face. "Jake..." she whispered brokenly. She scrambled to her feet, sending the tequila bottle flying and shattering on the ground as she flung herself in his arms and burst into tears.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N** **Hey guys! Oh, how I've missed writing this story! I am very sorry for the lack of updates these last few months but life has really gotten in the way. I promise the updates won't take me as long anymore. Anyways, I really hope you guys checked out my new story **_**To hate you is to love you**_**. (If you haven't yet, please do!) I'm really excited about continuing that one, but my main priority is Star-Crossed. I was dying to get back to it (I have sooo many new ideas and twists for it) and hopefully I still have some readers out there that haven't given up on this story. Anyways on to the chapter…for my fellow Brathan lovers, I hope you're not disappointed for the lack of interaction between them in this chapter, although the chapter takes off the same night of the 'big break-up', but I promise there's more Brathan to come (trust me, I love those two too much to ever really give up on them) Please let me know what you guys think and I hope you guys like it.**

**Disclaimer (oh, wow I haven't put one of these on my other chapters). Sadly, I do not own One Tree Hill or it's characters.**

**I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! Best wishes!**

"Brooke?" Jake prodded gently, leaning down so that he was eye level with the sobbing mess curled up on his couch. "What's wrong honey?" he asked, trying to keep his voice as soothing and calm as possible, despite the fact that a feeling of dread began to settle in the pit of his stomach.

He received no response, as she just continued to sob uncontrollably.

"Brooke?" he tried again, almost desperately, concern alive in his dark brown eyes as he regarded the beautiful girl in front of him. He'd brought her inside shortly after having found her outside, in an obvious state of despair. He'd been trying to soothe and calm her for the past half hour, unable to get anything out of her but the heart-wrenching sobs that seemed to reverbrate throughout the quiet house.

He brushed a few wet strands away from her eyes and he swallowed thickly, unable to stand the pain that seemed to radiate from her. He could almost _feel_ it and it was almost more than he could handle.

"Do you want me to call Haley?" he asked softly, unsure of how else to handle this.

"No!" she responded forcefully, looking up at him for the first time. He pulled back, a little surprised by her sudden outburst and the almost harsh look in her eyes.

"Brooke? What happened?"

When she didn't respond and dissolved into tears again, he bit his lip and let out a deep breath. "It has to do with Nathan, doesn't it?" he asked, although it came out as more of a statement. It _had_ to be about the handsome basketball captain. Because he could count the many times he'd seen her cry over his childhood best friend on one hand. Sure, he'd always sort of been in the background and he and Brooke weren't as close as they'd once been but he knew. He could tell when she came in late to school and she had on her trademark pretty purple Gucci sunglasses on, knowing she used those to hide the fact that she'd been crying or was hung over. He knew when he watched her smile and chatter in her usual bubbly manner during lunch and flirt with the basketball players all the while stealing hurt, angry looks at Nathan. He could tell at practice when she'd practically bite the head off any of the girls for no reason at all.

He could tell.

And he could tell right now, that he was the reason she was crying right now. Because there were only few things that could get to Brooke Davis so easily. And Nathan Scott was one of them.

She took a deep shaky breath, her gaze locking with his, "He slept with Rachel."

He inhaled sharply and shook his head, completely taken aback and feeling more than anger at that moment for the amount of pain Nathan had obviously inflicted on the beautiful brunette. Of course. He should've known. He'd always known Nathan Scott wasn't good enough for Brooke Davis. He'd always known that surely, he'd find a way to screw it up somehow.

"And Haley…"he trailed off, unsure of how the blonde fit into all of this.

"S-she…uh.." her voice trembled as she wiped the tears away from her face, "She _knew_ about it and she didn't tell me!" she broke down again and he pulled her into his arms, rubbing her back in a comforting manner. Her entire body shook with the force of her sobs and she clinged to him tightly, almost making him exhale in pain. He was puzzled to say the least and many questions ran around in his head. The whole situations still seemed pretty sketchy, but he wasn't about to question her. Not when the pain was still so very fresh.

She would talk when she was ready. And for now, he would just hold her and let her cry. For as long as she needed him to.

* * *

"_It's all in the kiss, in that special connection. And that feeling? It doesn't lie. That little melting sensation inside, that flutter in your heart, the crazy butterflies, the fireworks, that longing? It's real. And when you feel that? Then you'll truly know what it feels like to be alive." _

Her sister Quinn had once told her that. Of course, she had been way too young to really understand or even care, but it now struck Haley how amazingly right she'd been.

After getting over the initial shock of Lucas's lips on hers, she sighed in contentment as her hands reached out and wound around his neck tightly. The butterflies had long ago taken flight and were swimming around freely in her stomach. Her heart was beating uncontrollably, and there was this strange sensation of dizziness, that, had she not been holding tightly on to him, she'd surely have fallen.

She'd never felt anything as fully as she did in that moment, in that kiss. She'd never felt more alive.

Lucas groaned softly as he deepened the kiss, pulling her flush against his body. His hand reached out to cup the smoothness of her cheek as his other hand tangled in her soft golden tresses, wanting that contact,_ needing_ to feel her as close as possible.

He understood in that moment, what his mom meant when she'd always tell him that one kiss can light your entire soul on fire, bring you completely to life.

Every breath, every heartbeat…he'd never been more fully aware. It all fell back to this moment. Right there, right then. The two of them. This was all that existed.

This was heaven. All he'd ever wanted.

"Lucas…" Haley breathed out, breaking the contact almost relunctantly. Her eyes fluttered open slowly as she tried to control the erratic beating of her heart.

"Shhh…" he whispered, resting his forehead against hers. "God, Haley you're so amazing. So beautiful…" he kissed her again softly. "You have no idea how much I've wanted this."

"What is this?" she whispered, licking her lips subtly, wanting to taste him again. There were so many different emotions rushing through her, but she couldn't ignore the sudden coldness she felt when his lips had left hers.

"This? It's all I've wanted." He replied softly, reaching down to interlace their fingers together. She could feel him trembling as he gently placed their interlocked hands over his heart. "You wanted to know how it feels?"

Feeling his erratic heartbeat, much like her own, she looked up into his beautiful blue eyes questioningly.

"You asked me earlier what it felt like to be in love, remember?" he replied quietly, brushing her hair away from her eyes tenderly.

"W-what?" she pulled back, suddenly feeling as if there wasn't enough air. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that..I think you're amazing and I want to be with you." he smiled, squeezing her hand softly. "I always have…and I guess I'm saying that..that I might just be in love with you Haley James." He finished, quiet conviction in his words.

She stared back at him in complete shock, "Y-you don't know what you're saying." She whispered, when she finally found her voice. "You can't mean that."

It was his turn to look surprised, and he quickly dropped her hand as if it had burned him. "I-I think we should go." He mumbled, brushing past her abruptly.

"Lucas, wait!"

"Haley, no it's cool all right?" he turned around, feeling like a complete idiot. "I'm sorry. Just..just forget it ever happened okay?"

* * *

Peyton drummed her fingers against the steering wheel a little impatiently as she watched Nathan make his way back towards the car.

They'd been driving around for about an hour and frankly she was starting to get annoyed. What in the world had she been thinking when she'd offered to be his personal chauffer for the night?

Oh, yeah. Something about drunk driving and innocent pedestrians, humanity in whole.

Whatever. She was fed up and ready to go home.

"Where to now Scott?" she asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of her voice as she watched him jump back into the passenger seat. She almost wanted to laugh at the uncharacteristically forlorn expression he wore. And while she found it slightly amusing, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened between him and his long time girlfriend that could leave the usual arrogant ball player so dejected.

"Hell, I don't know." he muttered, letting his head fall back against the head rest. "I really thought she'd be here."

"_Here?_" she looked around the deserted park she was sure nobody frequented anymore. "This place is like dead."

He shot her a look, "Yeah, well it was our spot."

"What?"

"I said it was our spot." He repeated sharply.

"Your _spot?_" she shot him an incredulous look and this time she did laugh. "Aw, how sweet, Nathan Scott and Brooke Davis-" she cut off abruptly when she saw him flinch. "Sorry." She muttered, revving up the engine and heading back into the main road.

"Whatever. It's cool." he muttered, closing his eyes and leaning further into his seat as he thought of the significance that place held for him and Brooke. They had stumbled across it after driving around aimlessly after a game. They had been flirting and hooking up ever since the Charity ball at the country club, but that day he had asked her to be his girlfriend.

He'd been angry after the game when he'd seen her flirting with Tyler and he'd called her on it. She'd retorted that she wasn't anybody's property and that she could do whatever and whoever she wanted. She'd also reminded him that they weren't exclusive and that he was still messing around with Haley's older sister.

He couldn't argue with that. She was right, and it was only when he'd seen her smiling at Tyler that he realized that he didn't want her to be with anyone but him. He realized that he'd always liked her, even when they were kids and he wanted her to be his. Only his.

So he'd taken her by the hand and demanded that she leave with him. So she did, and they'd been driving around for about an hour, arguing over his behavior when they'd come across that particular spot on the outskirts of town and hidden from the main road.

It hadn't taken much to convince her to explore the place with him and soon they were lying out on the open field, making out passionately. It took him about an hour, to finally work up enough courage to ask her to be his girlfriend. He'd been nervous and she had giggled at him, knowing that Nathan Scott simply didn't do nervous. She'd found it extremely cute and had told him so once she'd accepted to be his girlfriend.

Needles to say, after that day they'd both become fond of that spot and would frequent it whenever they wanted to be alone, away from Tree Hill and the rest of the world.

"Y'know, I don't' know why you'd think she'd be here."Peyton spoke up, interrupting his thoughts. "I mean, whatever happened between the two of you, she was really upset. I'm sure the last place she'd want to be is somewhere that would remind her of you."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He let out a deep breath, looking out his side of the window. The trees and the shops and everything that was familiar to them, whizzed by as they drove through the quiet streets of Tree Hill.

"Wait, where are you going?" he turned to look at her, when the familiar road came into view.

"Uh, back to the beach house." she replied dryly, shooting him a weird look. "Where else?"

"I can't go back there. Everyone saw when the shit hit the fan and I-"

"Huh." She cut him off, raising an eyebrow. "You didn't strike me as that type."

"What type?" he asked, almost defensively.

"The type that gave a crap what anyone thought."

He let out a deep breath, "Look, I _don't_ all right? I just..I don't want to deal with any of it right now."

"Well _I_ have to go back." She reminded him. "If you don't want to go back to the party just go home."

"Yeah, that isn't any better." He shook his head. "After all the shit my Dad gave me after the game, I don't want to deal with him tonight either. Anyways, why do _you_ want to go back so badly? I thought you didn't like parties."

"My car's still there." She stated simply. "And so is Lucas."

"Fuck Lucas." He couldn't help but interject, his blue eyes darkening at just the mention of his so called brother.

Her mouth dropped open slightly and she glared at him, "Dude, what is your _problem_ with him?"

"Don't even get me started." He warned, looking over at her. He was struck momentarily by a strange feeling as he watched her blonde curls flying around crazily with the wind. Even through his hazy state, he couldn't help but notice that she was truly a beautiful girl

"Then _don't_." she snapped, shooting him a warning look of her own. "Damn it Nathan, I don't care how you feel about him, but if I hear something like that from you again I swear…" she left her threat hanging in the air, "I just don't understand. How can you have such a strong dislike for someone you barely even_ know, _let alone someone who shares your-"

"Well, its mutual isn't it?" he cut her off, rolling his eyes. "So don't give me the whole brother bullshit all right?"

She pressed her lips together, "Fine. But I don't care what you say, I'm still going back."

"Whatever." he shrugged carelessly. "I'll just take off when we get there."

"Uh-uh, well if you're not going home, then where are you going?"

"There's bar about 15 minutes from here. A little seedy, but eh what the hell? At least it's open all night."

"You're under age." She reminded him.

"Maybe _I am._" He pulled out his wallet. "But Dan Scott _Junior_ isn't." he smirked, flashing her the obviously fake identification.

"Well at least you got the _junior_ part right." She muttered and he glared at her and she went on before he could comment. "Okay, so that's your plan? Drink into the wee hours of the morning and get even more fucked up than what you already are?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much the idea."

"You're unbelievable you know that?" she exclaimed, pulling to an abrupt stop on the side of the road and killing the engine. "I mean, what was the whole point of me driving you around, if you're just going to go back out again and get even more wasted?"

"Chill, will you?" he scoffed, shaking his head. "Why do you even care?"

"I _don't." _she let out a breath, "But seriously, don't be an idiot. I know that's hard for you and all, but you can't drink and drive. It's just plain stupid."

"I don't need you preaching at me all right?"

"Dude, you're drunk enough." She gave him a firm look, "I'm dropping you off at your house."

He let out a laugh, "Are you seriously trying to tell me what to do?"

"Maybe someone needs to."

"I can take care of myself Sawyer." He scoffed, starting to get annoyed with the blonde. He reached across her and started up the engine again. "Besides, I already _told_ you that I'm not going home tonight. Now, will you stop being such a drama queen and just go?"

"Drama queen?" she repeated, slightly offended. "You're an idiot y'know that? The least you could do is be at least a _little_ appreciative that I'm trying to help you out-"

He rolled his eyes, "Look, all I want to do is get wasted as hell and forget this whole fucking night ever happened and _you're_ standing in the way of that right now, so how exactly are you _helping _me out?"

"Okay, so I should just let you drink and drive and possibly hurt or even kill someone?" she stared at him in disbelief. "God, I knew you were a jackass but seriously, you take it to a whole different level."

"Geez, will you stop? Damn, if it'll get you off my back just drop me off at the damn bar and I'll take a cab home okay?" he rolled his eyes, wondering why in the hell he was bothering to argue with her about it. Usually he'd just tell whoever was getting on his case to fuck off and he'd do whatever he wanted anyway...so why was _she_ any different and why was he letting her get away with it?

"That's not-" she paused, wondering why in the world she was making such a huge deal. "Okay, look…the whole point is for you to sober up, _not_ get even more plastered. So if you don't want to go home, then fine. But I'm _not_ dropping you off at some bar. You can crash at my place."

He couldn't stop the immediate smirk from appearing on his lips, "Damn Sawyer, if you just want to take me home to have your way with me, all you have to do is ask."

"Jackass.." she hissed, hitting him on the shoulder . "Y'know what? Forget it. I swear, you're fucking impossible! I'm not helping you out. I don't even care."

He chuckled, thinking to himself how cute she was when she was indignant, "So, then why the invitation sweetheart?"

She shot him a look of death, gripping the steering wheel fiercely, "Okay, first of all, _don't_ call me sweetheart and it's _not_ what you think or even what you may _want_ it to be. I was just simply offering you a place to hang out for a while until you were sober enough to drive back, but if you're going to be pulling this shit with me then you can just-"

"Uh-huh, _sure_." He cut off her, sending a wink her way as his grin only grew bigger. "If that's the way you want to look at it."

"Why do I even bother with you?" she muttered, turning the car and heading in the opposite direction. "Look, you can crash for a little bit, because even _I_ can take pity on a drunk idiot, but you _cannot _stay. I'm serious. Lucas will probably come over later and you just…you can't be there okay?"

"Late night rendezvous?" he couldn't help but tease. "Should I be jealous?"

She shot him another fierce look and he rolled his eyes, "Whatever you say okay? After all, we wouldn't want to upset Lucas or hurt his precious feelings right?" he couldn't keep the bitter tone out of his voice and she looked over at him, a warning look in her green eyes.

"Forget it." he mumbled, reaching over and fiddling with the stereo despite her protests. Well, if anything else this was certainly turning out to be an interesting night.

* * *

"Hey Brooke, I've got some of that special hot chocolate you like so much…" Jake trailed off as he walked back into the living room with a warm cup in his hand only to find Brooke completely passed out on the couch.

Sighing softly, he set the warm drink to the side and he went over to the brunette, picking her up gently in his arms.

Carrying her up the stairs quietly, he walked towards the master bedroom. He walked over to the queen sized bed and he set her set her down gently. He took off her shoes and propped a couple of pillows comfortingly behind her.

Pulling back, he sat next to her, staring at her in what he could only describe as slight awe. The moonlight was breaking through from the window and it was shining down softly on her delicate features.

"Brooke?" he called her name softly a couple of times and she didn't respond, lost in a deep slumber. He wrapped the plush comforter around her and brushed her hair away from her face.

"Look at you." he whispered, smiling softly."You're the most wasted I've ever seen you and you're a complete mess, but you're _still_ the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."

"Maybe this is the only time I'll ever get to tell you this and I know you probably can't hear me but.." he paused, taking a deep breath. "But I love you Brooke Davis. I'm _in_ love with you and I have been for a very, very long time. God, you're so beautiful and you're so strong. Stronger than you will ever know." he chuckled. "Kind of ironic that I'm telling you that right now huh? You're drunk off your ass right now because your dumb ass of a boyfriend cheated on you but..I also know tomorrow morning you're going to wake up and you're going to try to move past it all. Smile through the pain, and make everyone think that you're okay even though you and I will both know that it's not true. That it's all an act, because your heart's shattered into a million pieces." He reached out and his hand tenderly stroked her cheek. "I would do anything in the world not to see you hurt, not to see you so broken baby, because when you hurt.._I_ hurt." Feeling tears building behind his eyes, he took another deep breath. "You are _amazing _Brooke Davis. The most beautiful and perfect girl in this world and Nathan is an idiot for hurting you the way he did. I know that if I _ever_ had the chance..I would never do anything to hurt you. I've loved you forever and I know that I always will and I just…I just wanted to tell you that. Even if you'll never hear me. Even if you'll never know."

She stirred, a small smile appearing on her face and he froze slightly, thinking for a moment that she was waking up. "Nathan.." she whispered and his face fell.

Of course.

It took him a second to regain his composure and he leaned forward, planting a soft kiss on her forehead.

He walked out of the room, trying to make as little noise as possible and once he shut the door, he leaned up against it sighing deeply.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

"Nice house." Nathan commented, as he followed Peyton into the living room. "I know you were super eager to get me here." He winked at her, "But are you sure you're parents aren't going to trip?"

She hesitated, and he missed the sad look that flashed across her face. "I'm sure." She replied, heading towards the kitchen and dropping his keys on the counter. "My dad's overseas, somewhere in the Pacific."

"What about your mom?"

"Do you want something to drink?" she offered, abruptly changing the subject. She really didn't want to get into that right now.

"Sure, thanks." He looked around and a grin lit up his face as he spotted the wine cabinet. "Sweet!" he started to walk over to it, but she stepped in front of him.

"I don't think so."

"What? Come on, one drink won't hurt."

"Yeah, I think you've had enough of those." She responded, dryly. She nudged him out of the kitchen and pointed to the living room. "There's the couch." That was all she said, before she turned around and started to head out.

"Wait, where you going?" He reached for her hand and pulled her back. It wasn't forceful, but the sudden move startled her and she slammed right into his chest.

She inhaled sharply and she looked up at him. "Upstairs. To change." She became aware of the warmth of his hand, still on hers and she shook him off, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

"Why? I think you look _fine_ just the way you are." he grinned, looking down at her attire appreciatively.

She glared at him and pushed him away from her, "Jackass.." she mumbled, turning so that he wouldn't see her blush.

He chuckled as he watched her storm up the stairs. Once she was out of sight, he walked over to the couch and slumped down on it, closing his eyes.

"_How could you do this to me Nathan?"_ Brooke's tear-stained face flashed painfully in his mind and he opened his eyes, inhaling sharply.

He pulled out his phone and flipped it open, instantly smiling at the image of Brooke blowing him a kiss. She had taken that picture a while back and had insisted that he leave it as his wallpaper. Taking a deep breath, he dialed her familiar number for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, his heart pounding heavily in his chest and praying that she would pick up.

When it went straight to voicemail, he snapped it close. Fighting the sudden painful lump in his throat he quickly got up and headed towards the wine cabinet. Despite Peyton's protests earlier, he grabbed the first bottle he saw, not really caring what it was.

Untwisting the cap, he threw his head back and guzzled it down greedily, trying desperately to ignore the painful beating of his heart, and Brooke's painful words as they kept echoing in his mind. He'd meant it, what he'd said earlier to Peyton.

He just wanted to forget. Even if at least for one night.

* * *

15 minutes. That's all it takes to get from the river front to Haley's house and yet never had 15 minutes felt like an eternity.

Lucas sighed deeply as he tried desperately not to glance over at the beautiful blonde next to him. The tense silence was almost suffocating and it was killing him, but he refused to break it.

He'd finally told her, laid it all out for her. His every emotion and how she made him feel, how he felt about her. How he'd _always_ felt about her.

And what did she do?

Told him he didn't know what he was talking about.

Inhaling painfully, he tried to block out the kiss that kept repeating in his mind's frame. He couldn't believe she'd shot him down, told him he couldn't possibly mean what he knew had always been in his heart.

He was a fool. A complete fool for expecting her to feel the same. He'd thought there was something between them. A connection. But maybe he'd been wrong. Or maybe he'd just fooled himself into believing that.

Whatever it was, it was obvious she didn't feel the same. Because although she'd responded to his kiss, her reaction to his confession, her silence now in the car as she too refused to speak to him?

Well, it spoke volumes and it said everything she hadn't yet voiced.

She just didn't feel the same.

* * *

"What's taking you so long Sawyer?" Nathan's voice startled her as she was slipping on her simple black AC DC t-shirt on. Tugging down on it, she turned around quickly and frowned as she watched him leaning against the door, an almost empty bottle of _Sauvignon Blanc_ dangling from his hand.

"Didn't I tell you to leave the wine cabinet alone?" she reproached, unable to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

"Nice shirt." He smirked, ignoring her question. "You do know that we're in the 21st century right?"

She rolled her eyes, "Shut up. What do _you_ know about music?" she muttered, watching him carefully as he stumbled a little unsteadily into her room.

"Oh, and_ you_ do?" he retorted, looking around her impressive wall to wall collection of records. "The Cure..Flaming Lips..Audio slave?" he scoffed, taking a long swig out of the bottle. "I didn't know you were into loser rock."

She glared at him and strode over to him, "Give me that." she hissed, snatching the bottle out of his hands and placing it on her dresser. "You are unbelievable you know that?"

He smirked, "So, I'm told. And speaking of…" he pointed to her webcam. "That a gift from Lucas? A little something to get off to at night maybe?"

"Yeah, very funny." She rolled her eyes. "I don't know how many times I've told you, me and Lucas are just friends. I'm beginning to think you're obsessed and frankly that's a little bit creepy."

"Oh, I'm not the one obsessed sweetheart." He smirked, going over to the other side of her room and looking at the various sketches and pictures on her wall, most of which were about a certain tall blonde boy. "Seriously, when are you going to admit you're like in love with the guy." He paused, noticing another sketch, taped near the top corner of the wall. It was of a tall dark-haired guy with a wicked grin. He was standing, looking ahead of him at the trademark Hollywood sign and there were cameras, clapperboards, lights and production signs floating around his head, as if they were thoughts. And off to the top corner, stood a curly blonde resembling Peyton watching him sadly, as if being left behind. "Or maybe not." he remarked, "Who's the heartthrob?" she just looked away and he walked over to her bed, grabbing the bottle of wine on his way. "Someone break your heart Sawyer?"

"Nope." She denied, pointing to the bottle of wine in his hand. "But someone obviously broke _your _heart."

His face fell slightly and he let out a deep breath. "She's not answering my calls." He muttered, taking another long sip of the sweet wine.

She sighed, feeling somewhat bad as she went to go sit next to him. She took the bottle away from him for the second time that night. "Well, this isn't going to help."

"You'd be surprised."

"Maybe it's not that bad." She offered.

He let out a laugh, although he really didn't find it funny. "Believe me, it is." He shook his head, "I'm an idiot."

"True." She replied automatically. "But then again, it doesn't take much does it?"

"Funny." He mumbled, taking the bottle back from her. "I've lost her." his eyes looked incredibly sad. "Maybe forever."

"Well, you know what they say. It's better to have loved and lost, then to have never loved at all."

He looked back at her incredulously and she winced. "Sorry. I guess that's what happens when you've known someone like Lucas your entire life. Every situation in life can be summed up to a philosophical quote from some dead poet."

He smiled slightly, "I know what you mean. Haley's always-" he cut off abruptly, frowning as he thought of his so-called life-long friend.

"Yeah, those two would be perfect for each other huh?" she smiled, thinking over Lucas's long time obsession with the blonde cheerleader.

"Sure." he scoffed, "If Lucas is a back-stabbing asshole too, then yeah I guess you can say they're perfect for each other."

The smile fell from her face, "What are you talking about?"

"Y'know she comes across as this sweet smart little good girl, but you don't know her." he started, his tone cryptic. "She has the nerve to blackmail me, someone she's known her entire life and calls one of her best friends." He said snarkily. "Funny, how that didn't seem to matter once her little boy toy came into the picture.."

"Wait, I'm confused. Just, _what_ or _who _areyou talking about?"

"Haley…" he retorted, "She threatened to tell Brooke about me and Rachel unless I left that little punk alone." he took another swig of the bottle, "Fucking loser."

"Lucas?"

"Who else?"

"No, I meant Haley told you to.." she trailed off and she stared at him, when it all clicked together. "You are such a jerk."

"Me? Whatever, I'm not the one-"

"No, y'know what? I should've known.." she cut him off, glaring at him as she stood up from the bed. "When Lucas first mentioned it or whenever we were at practice and I noticed that you weren't laying into him all the time? I thought, well hey maybe Nathan Scott is not as much of a jackass as he comes across. Maybe he's finally leaving Lucas alone because he realized it was wrong and unfair and just plain immature." she shook her head and she let out a dry laugh. "But no. It was for your own damn selfish reasons."

"Peyton, it's-"

"What you are?" she cut him off, not yeat done. "Goes beyond being a jerk or a jackass. No, there's no word to describe you." she said bitingly. "And for someone who claims to love his girlfriend so much? You sure don't show for it. That's low, the worst thing you can do and I may not know Brooke but nobody, _nobody_ deserves to be cheated on or lied to." she shook her head. "I hope she never forgives you, because guys like you don't deserve a second chance."

"Hey, you don't know the first thing about it all right?" he snapped, standing up so that they were face to face. "You don't know the first thing about me or even Brooke, so who the hell are _you_ to go passing judgment huh?"

She stared at him, her eyes flashing angrily. "Okay, y'know what? Inviting you here was a really stupid idea, and you need to leave. I don't know where hell the sudden sympathy came from earlier but you don't deserve any of it because you're an ass. And I may have overlooked it a couple of times before or thought otherwise, but not anymore. I've never seen it more clearly." she turned on her heel, heading towards the door and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach and it had nothing to do with the ridiculous amount of alchohol he'd consumed that evening.

"Hey, hey Sawyer.." he called out to her, watching as she opened the door and watched him coldly. He sighed, and he walked over to her. "Look, I'm sorry okay?" he wasn't exactly sure why he felt the need to apologize to her but he couldn't help it.

She looked away from him, "Why do I have the feeling that you say that a lot?"

"Maybe because I do.." he shrugged, "I know I'm a jerk okay? And I do a lot of stupid things, things that hurt people, things that I regret and-"

"Like with Lucas and Brooke?" she challenged, staring at him straight in the eyes.

"I guess I just meant in general.." he frowned, "I'm not going to apologize for being an ass to your precious Lucas okay? That punk gets everything that's coming to him and if that's what you're angry at me for-"

"Of course you won't." she replied icily. "And I didn't expect you to, because you're too wrapped up in whatever b.s Dan feeds you to see that what you do to Lucas is wrong."

"Hey, leave my Dad out of this all right?" he shot back sharply.

"And what you did to Brooke? Do you feel any remorse in that?" she sneered. "No, you probably don't. But don't worry, I'm sure you won't have a problem finding some poor unsuspecting girl to fulfill your needs."

"Like you?" she glared at him and he looked away, sighing deeply. "I don't want just any girl. I want Brooke. I love her.." he admitted and she looked up at him, a little surprised at the earnest look in his blue eyes.

"If you love her, then why sleep with Rachel?" she questioned, a little apprehensive.

"It was a moment of weakness. Come on, don't you ever have one of those?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" he asked, his tone suddenly soft as his gaze fell to her soft pink lips.

"Yeah, I'm sure." she responded, feeling nervous at the way he was gazing at her.

"I don't believe you." he smiled, and he drew a bit closer to her until her back was pressed against the door. His hand came up to her cheek and he brushed a few curls behind her ear tenderly. She froze, and her breath hitched in her throat at the sudden gentle gesture.

She stared at him, unable to move and her eyes fluttered almost automatically as she felt him closing the space between them. Warning bells went off in her head and she knew she should pull away but she couldn't. As his lips hovered just above hers, the unmistakable scent of alchol penetratred through the sudden fog that had clouded her mind and she pushed him back forcefully. "Don't." she let out harshly, moving away from him. "You're drunk and you're upset about Brooke and you-you shouldn't have come here."

"You brought me here." he pointed out.

"Yeah, and that was...not a good idea." she turned her back to him, closing her eyes and exhaling. What was she doing? How did she ever let it go so far? For Pete's sake, she'd almost let him kiss her!

"I just..I don't understand you sometimes Sawyer."

She turned back to face him, "Well, you don't need to." she retorted, the sarcasm quickly back in place.

"Why do you do that?"

"What?" she crossed her arms in front of her defensively.

"_That_." he replied, making his way over to her. "The defense mechanism. The sarcasm."

"Well, maybe I'm just a girl, wrapped in a mystery inside a bitch."

"Or maybe, you're just a girl who's afraid of anyone getting too close."

Her heart began to beat heavily in her chest as he once again closed the space between them, from what she wasn't sure. Anger? Confusion? She didn't know anymore.

"You need to leave. I mean it." she pushed him away angrily and strode over to the door, "I'm getting you some coffee but then..then you need to leave."

* * *

Haley closed her eyes as she shut the front door of her house behind her. Sighing deeply, tiredly she leaned against it. That ride, with Lucas...had been agonizing. Never in her life had she felt more confused than she did at that moment. Why had she said that to him? No, why had _he_ said what he did? Did he mean it? He couldn't possibly love her...could he? And what about her? Did _she _love him?

She couldn't, I mean she barely even knew him.

You just can't feel that deeply for someone that quickly right? It couldn't happen, the idea..it was insane.

So why did she feel this huge aching pain in her chest? Why did she feel this overwhelming feeling to cry?

And why did she feel as if she'd just majorly screwed up what might have been between her and the blonde basketball player?

"Haley?" a voice cut through to her thoughts and she straightned out, "Mom?"

Walking towards the living room, her face fell as she caught a glimpse of her mother sprawled out in the couch, an empty bottle of Bourbon next to her. "Mom.." she whispered, crouching down next to her. "Not again."

"Your father..." she slurred, struggling to open her eyes, "He..left. S-some business trip in New York." she let out a peal of laughter. "Like I don't know what that means!"

Haley closed her eyes, feeling the tears prickling behind her lids. "Mom...."

"When are you goint to open your eyes and see hunny-bunny.." she tried to sit up and failed to do so, slumping back on the couch. "He's w-with that-"she trailed off as her eyes slid back shut, passing out cold.

Haley pressed her lips together and felt a wave of sadness, anger and everything she'd been holding in all night come crashing down on her. Brooke and Nathan, her parents...Lucas...it was all just screwed up. Utterly and completely screwed up.

She completely broke down for the second time that night unable to take any more. Her sobs along with her mom's shallow breathing were the only sounds that filled the room and Haley had never felt so completely helpless...or alone.

* * *

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me." Peyton muttered, coming back into the room with a steaming cup of coffee. Nathan was sprawled out all over her bed, completely out.

Setting the coffee to the side, she went over to him. "Nathan.." she hit him on the shoulder, "Hey, Nathan! Wake up!"

Still getting no response from him, she shoved him lightly, praying that he would wake.

No such luck. He wasn't budging and was completely passed out.

"Damn it!" she swore under breath, thinking what the hell was she supposed to do now?

Slight panic began to settle in the pit of her stomach and it only escalated when she heard the faint sound of her phone vibrating. She looked up quickly at the time and noted that it was almost 3. Shit. That could only be Lucas.

"Lucas? Hey what's up?"

"Peyton? Where the hell are you?" he demanded, "I just went to the beach house and I didn't see you anywhere."

Shit, shit shit. "Uh..hey Luke I'm sorry I meant to call you but I uh.." she shut her eyes, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I'm home already, I caught a ride with one of the guys from the team." Well at least it wasn't a _complete_ lie. "Listen, I'm really tired and I-"

"Peyt? Are you okay?" he asked, a hint of worry in his voice. "You sound really weird, I'm on my way-"

"No!" she all but shouted, "No, no Luke it's okay really." she cleared her throat. "I'm okay, seriously I'm just really tired and I'll..I'll see you tomorrow okay?"

"Okay. Man, some night huh?" he let out a deep sigh on the other end. "I'll see you tomorrow Peyton. Good night. I love you."

"Love you too. Bye."

She clicked the phone and held it in her hands, grasping it tightly as she looked over at Nathan's sleeping form. Extreme guilt washed over, that and something else she didn't quite recognize.

What in the world had she gotten herself into?

Lucas was right, some night it had been. And from the looks of it..it was going to be a long one.

**A/N Okay, so there was like way more to this when I first wrote it, but the chapter was getting extremely long, so I decided to break it off into 2 separate chapters, since I've already got most of it written, it should be up very soon. I promise :)Hope you guys liked it and don't forget to review! **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N Oh my god a 100+ reviews, yay!! Lol, thanks to everyone who's reading and especially the ones who take their time to review. **

**For those of you who have read my other story I apologize for the lack of an update, but I promise you that I'm working on getting that next chapter up. I really hate it when other writers leave their stories up in the air like that and I don't want to do that, and also I'm really excited about continuing that one. **

"Do you want to do this some other day?"

Haley looked up startled to find Felix tapping his pen on the Algebra book in front of him, looking slightly annoyed. She blushed, realizing that he'd been trying to get her attention for the last couple of minutes. "No, no it's fine. I'm sorry."

He raised an eyebrow, "Rough night?"

_Rough doesn't even begin to cover it, _she thought. "Something like that." she mumbled, taking the sheet of paper from his outstretched hand and studying it.

"Y'know, I didn't think you were going to show." He commented after a moment's pause, letting his gaze fall on her. Her features were marred into a frown of concentration as her pen marked furiously all over the paper. She was wearing a soft pink shirt with a dark blue jean jacket and her hair was pulled back by a matching pink headband. He couldn't help but admire the way her golden tresses seemed to almost gleam in the early morning sunshine.

"Yeah?" she responded distractedly, not looking up. "Why's that?"

"Well, y'know word gets around fast…and well after what happened last night…"

"Gotta love a small town." She muttered, her eyes darkening at the thought of last night's events. The whole Brooke and Nathan mess, the kiss with Lucas and then going home and finding her mom completely wasted and her Dad nowhere in sight in what was becoming extremely typical…

"Wanna talk about it?"

She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. "No offense, but you're the last person that I'd want to talk to about anything."

"I guess I deserve that." he shook his head and reached across the table to grab her hand lightly. "Listen Haley, I know I've been a jerk and-"

"Talk about understatements." She scoffed, jerking her hand away from him and glaring at him.

He hung his head and smiled, "I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm sorry. I've realized that everything that I've done-"

She cut him off, giving him an incredulous look. "Felix, cut the crap will you?"

"What crap? Look, I'm being honest here. I really am sorry for everything that I've done to you."

She eyed him suspiciously, not totally buying it. "What are you trying to pull?"

He gave her an innocent look and he smiled in what he hoped came across as sincere. "Haley, I'm not trying to pull anything. Really. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for everything and thank you for helping me even though I don't deserve it. I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate that. Is that so bad? Can't you just accept my apology?"

"Okay, fine whatever. Apology accepted." She mumbled, missing the triumphant gleam in his eyes. "Let's just get back to work okay? There's somewhere I've got to be after this."

She sighed, thinking about swinging by Brooke's house again. She'd already done so this morning and was disappointed to not find her there. Disappointed and worried because with Brooke…you just never knew. She wanted to make sure that she was okay, physically at least because she knew her best friend was pretty much crushed emotionally. More than anything, she wanted to find her so that they could talk and she could clear the air between them.

"Sure, I understand. Oh, and Haley? One more thing."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think that we can keep this tutoring thing between us?"

"Uh, okay." She gave him a puzzled look. "But what's the big deal?"

He shrugged and his usual cocky grin appeared. "I'd just hate everyone to know that the great and bad ass Felix Tagaro is actually really stupid and failing all his classes."

"Of course." She rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't want to ruin your reputation." She paused as she stared at him. "But you're not stupid Felix…" her mouth twitched a little. "Maybe, slightly _challenged_ but..."

"Thanks." He returned sarcastically, shaking his head and giving her a playful grin. "You really know how to boost a guy's ego don't you?"

She laughed lightly and for a second there she returned his smile, before remembering who she was dealing with and the smile fell from her face just as quickly. She cleared her throat and stared at him, her eyes cold and indifferent. "Back to the lesson, shall we?"

He nodded, and he opened up his textbook, feeling frustration creeping up on him as she began to explain polynomials to him. He tuned her out, watching with disinterest as she highlighted certain points on the lesson.

He'd almost had her, well sort of.

But this was only the first day, he assured himself. Plenty of time to crack the cold, unfriendly guard she had around him. He'd already gotten her to agree to tutor him and that in itself was a major step. He just had to have patience for the rest. It would take time, he knew that but still...

The key was to get her to warm up to him, open up to him. No matter how long it took.

Because the closer he got, the easier it'd be to plot her downfall.

* * *

As soon as Brooke opened her eyes the next morning, she really wished she had just kept them shut and gone back to sleep. She groaned as the harsh sunlight assaulted her eyes and she rolled over, curling into a fetal position. Her head was pounding and her body felt like a freight train had run over it.

In the next instance, she sat upright, ignoring the wave of nausea that hit her. Her heart was pounding wildly as she looked around the unfamiliar bedroom, completely disoriented and confused as to just how she'd gotten there. And wondering, just exactly where _there_ was.

She looked down at herself quickly, sighing in relief to see herself fully dressed. She tried to break through the fog that seemed to cloud her memory as she struggled to remember just what had happened the night before that had gotten her there.

A knock on the door startled her and a male voice floated through the wooden door. "Brooke?"

She froze and she clutched the sheets tightly against her body, though she was fully dressed. She cleared her throat, "Y-yeah?" her heart was pounding in her chest, afraid of who might be on the other side and damn it, why couldn't she remember? Who the hell had she gone home with last night?

The knob twisted and Jake peeked through hesitantly. "Hey…"

Her eyes widened and she brushed her hair out of her eyes, "Jake?" surprise was evident in her voice and he smiled, stepping into the room fully, carrying a breakfast tray in his hands.

"How ya feeling?" he asked gently, walking over to the nightstand and setting the tray down.

She stared at him, at a complete loss. "W-what am I doing here? How did I even..what happened last night?"

He squinted at her, "You don't remember?"

"I-I was at the beach house..."she started slowly, frowning down at the floor. "After the game and-" she stopped, feeling her heart drop down to her stomach as the entire night came crashing down on her. "Oh, god. Nathan and Rachel.." She whispered, pressing a hand to her mouth and shutting her eyes tightly.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and he sat next to her, reaching out to lightly grasp her hand in a comforting manner. "Brooke…"

She shook her head at him, unable to process any words as her eyes filled rapidly with tears. The smell of the food wafted over to her and that along with the painful reminder of last night twisted up her insides and she shot up out of the bed, barely making it to the restroom before her stomach completely bottomed out on her.

A few moments later she opened the door to the restroom and she walked back over to the bed, a little unsteadily. She gave him an apologetic smile, feeling embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay." He assured her, picking up the breakfast tray again and setting it in front of her, despite her protests. "Trust me, Brooke. It'll make you feel a little better."

She really doubted that, but she really didn't have the heart to turn him down. She picked up the fork and a smile broke out on her lips as she surveyed the food. She looked up at him, slightly in awe. "You remembered?"

"Of course." he gave her a soft look. "It was always your favorite."

"Yeah.." she smiled, as she remembered how when they were kids she would sneak over to the Jagielski home on Saturday mornings for his mom's infamous banana and coconut pancakes. She remembered Haley and Jake's constant teasing over what they called her 'secret love affair' with the sinfully delicious but oh so fattening breakfast. Secret, because even at a young age, Victoria used to forbid that she eat such things, for fear that she would get fat.

"Jake..that's so sweet." She smiled up at him, sincerely touched. "Thank you."

He shrugged and looked down a little embarrassed, but happy that he was able to put a smile on her face, if even for the simplest thing.

"Your mom's pancakes are the _best_." she complimented, digging in eagerly. "Does she know I'm here?"

"No, she and my Dad are down in Savannah, visiting family actually." He chuckled, "Now, this may come as a surprise, but I cooked them up for you."

"Seriously?" she nodded in appreciation. "Well, they're delicious, but they still don't beat your mom's." she teased.

"I'll remember that Davis." He laughed, remembering how when he was younger he used watch his mom make them every Saturday morning, in hopes of learning her secret recipe so that he could surprise Brooke one day.

She finished the last bite and wiped her mouth, letting out a sigh of contentment. She pushed the comforter away from her body and was about to take the dirty tray downstairs when Jake stopped her. She protested and he smiled, ushering her towards the dresser on the other side of the room.

"Here, take these." He placed a soft lavender bath robe, with a matching towel on her hands.

"Are you trying to tell me something here Jagielski?" a teasing smile tugged on her lips as she regarded him. "It's not nice to tell a girl she stinks y'know."

He smiled back, "No. But a nice hot shower might make you feel better." He digged in the bottom drawer and handed her a pair of his mom's nicest royal blue sweat suit.

"You're such a great friend you know that? What'd I ever do to deserve you?" she sighed, smiling over at him.

"I don't know, but a little appreciation would be nice now and then." He joked, leading her to the master bedroom's shower.

She stopped as she reached the door and she turned to him, a sincere smile gracing her features. She placed her hands on his shoulders, leaning up on her toes, to brush a light kiss on his cheek. "There." She said softly. "You can't say I've never properly thanked you now."

He stood rooted to that same spot, watching as she disappeared behind the other door. His hand shot up to touch the spot she'd kissed moments earlier and he couldn't stop the huge grin from crossing his lips. He sighed, a feeling of almost exhilaration washing over him as he thought of the small gesture.

* * *

Much like Brooke, Nathan also woke up somewhat abruptly. His head was pounding and the sharp sunlight filtering into the room wasn't helping at all. Feeling extremely groggy and with a sharp pain in his neck, from the way he'd slept he groaned, having no other option but to get up.

He looked around the unfamiliar room, frowning as he tried to remember just exactly where he was and how he'd gotten there.

Because the last thing he needed to do was have a one night stand shortly after Brooke broke up with him. She'd hate him even more than what she probably already did.

_Brooke._

Her face flashed in his mind and he sat back down quickly on the bed, last night's memories crashing down around him. He squeezed his eyes shut and he let out a deep sigh, realizing once again how badly he'd screwed up.

As everything started to clear in his cloudy mind, the distinct sounds of somebody moving around the kitchen broke through and he got up again.

As he neared the door, a framed picture caught his attention on the way out. It was a picture of a laughing curly blonde, riding piggy back on his much hated blonde nemesis, Lucas.

Peyton.

The remaining pieces of last night, came flooding back and he ventured downstairs, intent on finding the curly-haired cheerleader.

It didn't take long to find her, as he walked into the living room he spotted her sitting down on the breakfast table, a huge bowl of what he assumed was cereal in front of her. He paused for a moment, admiring the way her curls seemed to glisten against the sunshine, making them appear even more golden. He walked further towards her, until he was just a couple of steps away from her. "Y'know in some parts of the world, it's considered rude to not have a hot steaming breakfast ready to serve for your guests."

She jumped up startled and glared up at him. "And in some parts of the world, it's also considered rude to sneak up on people like that."

He laughed, "Jumpy much?"

"You would be too, had you not gotten any sleep." She muttered. She paused and looked up, her lips set in two firm lines. "Your keys are right by the door."

He tilted his head and stared at her. "What?"

She rolled her eyes. Didn't he get the hint? "I said your keys are right by the door. In other words, get to going Scott."

He braced his hands on the chair next to her and he shook his head at her, slightly amused."Are you always this _peachy_ in the morning Sawyer?"

"Look." She snapped, pushing her bowl of cereal to the side. "Lucas has been calling me non-stop all morning and I've stalled long enough. He's on his way here now, and the last thing I need is him finding you here okay? I do _not_ need a confrontation between the two of you."

He rolled his eyes and he straightened up. "Afraid I might hurt your little boyfriend?"

"I'm serious! You need to leave. Like now."

He shook his head, "Damn. If this is the way you treat your friends. I'd hate to see the way you-"

"We're _not _friends!" she cut him off, standing up abruptly and picking up the cereal bowl.

He frowned, staring at her as she walked over to the sink. "Then why'd you let me stay here?"

She dropped the dish into the sink with a _clank_ and turned around to face him. "Well, I didn't really have much choice did I?" she replied cryptically.

"Why are you so mad at me?" he demanded.

"Because, okay! You got me into a situation where I had to _lie_ to my best friend. And if he walked through that door right now and found you here, he would completely hate me!"

"Don't put that on me." he scoffed, "Because you wouldn't be in such a tizzy over Lucas finding me here, had you just dropped me off at the bar like I told you to." He pointed out. "You got yourself into your own mess Sawyer, so don't go blaming me because you were so insistent in bringing me here in the first place."

She clamped her mouth shut, glaring at him. What could she say to that? He was right.

"Besides, you were just helping a friend out. What's so wrong about that?"

"We're not friends!" she repeated sharply. "We can't be."

"Because of Lucas?" he asked, incredulous.

"Because of a lot of things."

"Okay then so what are we?" he pressed on, not understanding why she was so angry. "I mean, we have to be something if you let me stay here right? You have to care about me in_ some_ way."

Her head whipped around to face him and she stared at him, her eyes cold. "Last night, I may have felt a momentary insane feeling of sympathy towards you, but you don't deserve it. And I'm sorry if you mistook that for us being friends or even me caring about you. Because I _don't_. And you want to know why? Because I don't care much for guys like you."

His eyes darkened, and he ignored the sting her words caused him. "You hardly even know me."

"Right." She responded coldly, crossing her arms in front of her. "And I don't want to. Y'know last night, when we talked out by the porch? About your Dad and school and stuff? There was a moment, where I thought, hey maybe you're a decent guy." She let out a dry laugh. "But I couldn't have been more wrong could I?"

"Why? Because I cheated on Brooke, or because of Lucas and Haley? What does that have to do with you?"

"It doesn't. It has to do with _yo_u. And the type of person that you are."

He let out a sigh, feeling confused as to where all this was coming from. "Peyton…"

She held up her hand to stop him. "Look, all that talking and hanging out we did this past week? It shouldn't have happened and it's not going to again okay. If you see me at school? Don't talk to me."

He looked over at her, feeling surprised and maybe a little hurt over the harshness of her words. An uncomfortable silence fell over them as they gazed at each other across the room.

He cleared his throat and he was the first to break it. "Whatever, if that's what you want, have it your way Sawyer. I don't even care." he replied in a tight voice, not looking at her as he stalked out of the kitchen and her sight.

Hearing the front door slam, she leaned against the counter, letting out a deep sigh and closing her eyes tiredly.

She'd done the right thing. Of course she had. She had to nip this in the bud and the sooner the better. Whatever had been between her and Nathan these past few weeks was a thing of the past now. Because Nathan Scott was nothing but a jerk and having him around in her life in any way was only bound to bring problems for her and for Lucas.

_

* * *

_

Brooke, I'm sorry. It meant nothing, you have to believe me.

Alone again and as hard as she tried, the nightmare of last night wouldn't leave her alone. It came back, strongly, suffocating her.

_It was a mistake. A momentary, fleeting and extremely stupid mistake._

She choked out a sob, as his handsome face and his words flashed painfully in her mind.

She felt her heart breaking all over again, as she realized that despite it all…she already missed him.

"No." she whispered to herself, letting the hot water wash over her body, letting it soothe her aching muscles, but not her heart. "You have to be strong Brooke. You can't love him anymore. He broke your heart. You have to hate him."

And she would. She had to.

Because as long as she lived, she never wanted to see Nathan Scott's lying cheating ass. She would never forgive him.

Even if it completely killed her.

_

* * *

_

Well, the biggest mistake I ever made was ever loving you. Believing in you. Trusting you. But you know what? I'll never do it again.

The words came back to haunt Nathan as he lay on his bed, dribbling his favorite basketball in his hands.

_You see this? It's broken. Just like we are. Forever._

No. He refused to believe that. He couldn't. He needed Brooke in his life, he loved her more than he loved anybody else. He couldn't live without her. She had to know that.

Feeling the sting of tears in the back of his eyelids, he threw the basketball up in the air, catching it easily.

He looked over at his phone on his nightstand. He'd tried calling Brooke several times, even dropped by her house after leaving Peyton's only to have Sandy, the housemaid tell him that she'd never made it home.

That more than anything had him in such anxiety. Where in the world could she be? Was she okay?

In his desperation, he'd even briefly considered calling Haley, but ultimately decided against it seeing as how angry he was with her still. Besides, she was probably in the dark as much as he was.

_Guys like you don't deserve a second chance._

He groaned out in frustration, as this time Peyton's words from the night before rang out in his mind.

_We're not friends._

Who the hell did Peyton think she was anyway? Whatever happened between him and Brooke was none of her business so she had no right to reproach him about cheating on her or even on the whole Haley and Lucas thing.

So why the hell was he letting it bother him so much?

A movement to his left caught his eye, and he turned watching his Dad come into the bedroom.

"Geez, no wonder your scoring average is going down son." He shook his head. "Here you are moping around like a sorry loser, instead of downstairs practicing your shot like you should be. Get up. Dinner's almost ready." He was almost out the door again, before he turned back to face him. "Oh, and by the way. Your mother's coming back next week."

Before he even had a chance to respond, his Das was already out the door. _Great_, he thought _As if things weren't bad enough already…_

Sighing, he sent the ball flying across the room, watching in strange satisfaction as it slammed against the dresser. Hearing something come crashing down into the floor with the ball, he got up and walked over to see what he'd knocked down.

It was a picture frame, and as he pushed the broken glass to the side, his face fell into a frown as he realized it was a picture of him and Brooke at last year's event at the Country Club.

He smiled, tracing the beautiful brunette's face with his fingertips. God, she was so beautiful and he had screwed it all up. And now all he was left with was this suffocating regret and guilt that burned at his chest and constricted his heart.

_She deserves better than that and one day you're going to realize that, but by then, it's going to be too late. Because you never truly know what you have until it's gone right?_

He cursed Jagielsky in his mind as his words from that night came back to taunt him.

But it wasn't gone. It couldn't be, because he really did love Brooke. He'd know her forever and he knew that there wasn't a single girl in this entire world, that could ever make him feel the way that she did.

Not a single one.

And he couldn't give that up. He wouldn't. So he would he get her back.

No matter what it took or how long.

* * *

Brooke stared at her reflection in the mirror and although she looked a lot better physically, no amount of make-up could disguise the haunting look in her hazel eyes.

Her hand reached out to touch the base of her throat, where the silver pendant used to hang so elegantly. The same one that she'd ripped out and threw at her cheating ex-boyfriend. The same way, he'd ripped out her heart.

A new onslaught of tears came to her eyes and she blinked them back, mentally scolding herself. She wouldn't do that anymore. She wasn't going to continue to cry for someone that had so selfishly broken her. She refused.

Sighing, she digged under the sink counter until she found a decent brush and she ran it through her wet hair, staring at her haggard reflection.

A sudden faint cry broke through her thoughts and it startled her. Dropping the brush on the sink, she stepped out, making her way out of the master bedroom and into the hallway, calling out Jake's name but getting no response.

Following the faint sounds, she came across a room at the far end of the hallway and she peered in, as the cries got louder.

Stepping in gingerly, she walked over to the crib in the middle of the room and she slowly picked up the crying 6-month old.

"Shhh.." she whispered, staring in almost awe at the beautiful blonde little girl in her arms. "It's okay…don't cry."

It did very little to calm the little girl, in fact her cries seemed to increase to almost screams and Brooke looked around, not sure what to do.

Just as she was about to go look for Jake, he appeared in the door, looking at her with the baby in his arms with a look she couldn't quite decipher.

She blushed, feeling somewhat embarrassed as he walked over to her, taking the baby from her arms gently. "I'm sorry. I heard her crying and I figured I could-" she took a deep breath and sent him a small smile. "I didn't mean to upset her even more."

He smiled back, cradling Jenny in his arms as he walked over to a small dresser by the door. "It's okay. She's just hungry." He turned his eyes to his little girl. "Aren't you Jenny?" he cooed, picking up the formula with his free hand. "It's okay, baby. Daddy's here. I've got you."

Brooke stared on in amazement as she watched Jake expertly mix the formula with just one hand, while he comforted her with soothing words at the same time. Within seconds, Jenny stopped crying and he looked up to find Brooke staring at him. "What?"

"Nothing, I just.." she paused as she watched him feed the baby. "I knew you had a baby, but this is the first time I've seen you with her, being a _Dad_ y'know?" she shook her head. "I'm sorry. That probably sounds stupid.."

She stopped, watching Jake and Jenny and the serene way she rested in his arms, the way he'd gotten her to stop crying almost, knowing immediately what she needed. Something about that was comforting to her.

"How do you do it?" she asked, walking over tentaviley to where he was standing. "With Jenny, and school and basketball?

"What can I say? I'm like Superman." He joked, staring lovingly at his almost sleeping daughter.

She laughed quietly. "Yeah, you're something else all-right." She stared at the beautiful baby in his arms. "God, she's so perfect." She whispered, looking up at him. "I can't even imagine how you do it."

"My parents, they're great and they help whenever they can but…she's mine y'know? And sure, sometimes it's hard and it takes up all my time and energy but I wouldn't give it up for anything in the world. I wouldn't have it any other way." Setting the almost empty bottle of formula back on the dresser, he walked over to the crib and slowly and gently lay her back down, adjusting the soft pink blanket around her.

Facing Brooke again, he pulled out a bright purple Blackberry and handed it to her. "It's been going off non-stop all-night."

She gripped it in her hands tightly and she looked away, taking a deep breath. She hadn't yet checked her phone. In fact, she was pretty much avoiding doing so, knowing she had about a thousand new messages from both Haley and Nathan. As hurt as she was, and with the events from last night, still so painfully fresh, she wasn't yet prepared to hear them out.

"Y'know eventually you're going to have to talk to them." He pointed out gently, watching the different emotions play across her face.

She bit her lip, fighting back tears and saying nothing. He sighed, walking over to her and placing his hand on her arm, comfortingly. "You're probably going to hate me but…I called Haley."

Her head whipped around and she glared up at him, "You did what?"

"I had to Brooke." He explained. She let out a huff and he continued. "Wait, hear me out. Look, _I_ know Haley. _You _know Haley. And you know that she wouldn't intentionally hurt you. You're her best friend and you mean everything to her."

"She threw that away." she let out harshly. "The moment she chose to cover up for Nathan."

"I'm sure it's not like that Brooke. You need to talk to her, there is always two sides to every story. Don't write off ten years of friendship over what could possibly be a misunderstanding."

"I-I can't." she whispered, "At least not yet. Please understand that."

"I do, okay? I do. And that's why I made her promise not to stop by here. I made her promise to give you time. But I had to call her and let her know you were okay. Because I've known Haley all my life and she was probably sick with worry all night. You're not mad at me, are you?"

"No, of course not. I know Haley's _your_ best friend too. And thank you. For making her promise not to stop by. Because I just..I can't deal with that right now. I need time." she let out a long sigh and she looked up at him. "Jake? I really don't want to go home. Do you think that I could…hang out here with you and Jenny for a little while?"

"You don't even have to ask." He assured her, giving her shoulder a friendly squeeze. "Stay as long as you need to Brooke."

* * *

Early that afternoon, Lucas found Peyton in her room, sketching furiously with Fall Out Boy blasting from her stereo.

Lucas walked over to the stereo and turned it off abruptly. "Seriously? Fall Out Boy?" he smirked. "You feeling okay Peyt?"

Peyton jumped up about a mile in her desk. "Geez!" she shouted, glaring over at her best friend. "Can't you knock? Seriously, what is it with everyone sneaking up on me today?"

"You wouldn't have heard me if I'd knocked." He scoffed, shaking his head. "When you're in one of your sketching moods, the entire Swat team could come marching in here and you wouldn't even blink." He walked over to her and peeked at the sketch on her desk, catching a glimpse of two figures sitting across each other on a table in what looked to be the school's quad with the words _We're not friends_ scrawled angrily across the top. "Watcha got there?" he asked, curiosity getting the best of him.

She picked it up and slammed it facedown. "It's nothing." She muttered, pushing away from the chair and walking over to her bed.

He frowned, noticing her tense stand and knowing she was lying. But he wouldn't push her. He'd known Peyton long enough to know that when she didn't want to talk, she wouldn't. And pressing her on the issue would only anger her even more.

"Okay. I can take a hint." he sighed, flopping down next to her on the bed. "Anyways, you never did tell me. How'd you get home last night?"

She looked away from him, wincing in anticipation of what was going to come next. "Nathan."

He shot up in bed and he stared at her, "Please, tell me I heard you wrong and you didn't just say that my jerk of a half-brother brought you home last night?"

"You didn't." she responded, shaking her head and knowing she couldn't keep that from him.

"Peyton!"

"Lucas, what?" she wringed her hands nervously as he stared daggers at her. "What did you want me to do? You took off on me and he-he was there and he offered." She bit her lip, knowing she couldn't tell him the rest without him mistaking it for something that it was not. And besides, what good would it really do?

"Peyton, do you like him?"

She whirled around to face him, her mouth dropping open slightly. "No! Lucas, what kind of question is that?"

"A very simple and valid question. Do you like him? Is there something going on between the two of you?"

"Why would you ask me that?"

"Because Peyton! You've been different lately okay? C'mon.." he said at the look on her face. "I'm your best friend. I've known you forever, you think I wouldn't notice if something was changing with you?"

"Lucas…_nothing_ is going on between me and Nathan okay? You have to believe me."

"Okay." he nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. "That's good to know, because man that'd be completely weird and would just complicate everything."

"Why would it?" She wasn't dumb, she already knew the answer to that, but she couldn't help but want to know his take on it.

"Are you serious?" he gave her a long look. "C'mon, look at the crazy history between the two of us. I mean, you're _my _best friend and supposed to be on my side. Gosh, that'd be like-"

"You and Haley?"

He paused, frowning at her. "That's different." He mumbled.

She raised an eyebrow. "How so? Haley's known Nathan as long as I've known you, probably even longer. How would you and Haley be any different from me and Nathan?"

"I don't know." he shrugged, "Besides, I guess we'll never know now."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, there's nothing between you and Nathan, we've already established that." he sighed. "And as of yesterday night..same goes for me and Haley."

She turned to him, noticing the hurt look in his eyes. "What happened?"

He fell back on the bed and propped his arms behind his head. "Let's just say, like an idiot I poured my heart out to her, just to be shot straight down."

"What did you do? Tell her you love her or something?" she asked, half-joking, half-serious.

Pain flashed in his baby blues and he turned away from her. "Lucas…" she said softly. "You didn't."

He groaned and covered his face with one of her pillows. "I did." His voice was muffled. "I kissed her and then I practically asked her to marry me. Well, no I'm just kidding, but how could I be such an idiot?"

She pulled the pillow away from his face and smiled. "You kissed her?"

"Yeah…" he couldn't stop the goofy grin from appearing on his lips, as his mind took him back to that moment.

"And?" she urged him on, playfully nudging him. "How was it?"

His smile only grew bigger and his blue eyes took on a dreamy, far-away look. "Perfection." He turned to her. "Sometimes…you kiss someone and you know right then and there that you are exactly where you're supposed to be. That's the person you want to kiss for the rest of your life."

"That's so sweet." She told him, honestly. "What are you going to do?'

"I don't know." he admitted, the pain of her rejection still fresh in his heart. "Just wait..I guess. Wait for her to come to me..I really can't do anything else."

"What if she doesn't?"

"She will." He smiled, feeling confidence and hope surging through his heart for the first time since last night. "I can feel it. She'll come to me."

"How can you be so sure Lucas?" she questioned, not for the purpose of making him doubt his feeling or Haley for that matter. But because she knew Lucas tended to jump in wholly with his heart, sometimes maybe too quickly and she just wanted to spare him that heartache.

"Because Peyton.." he sighed, "Because sometimes there's people that just touch your soul, and hold your heart. You don't know why or even how, but it's there. And no matter how much you try to ignore it or push it away it's just always going to be there. And I feel that, with Haley and I just…I can't give up on that feeling or let it go that quickly."

She nodded, accepting his quiet conviction and she lay down next to him, pondering over his words.

"So anyways.." he asked after several moments of comfortable silence. "What were you drawing?"

"Oh, nothing." She smiled at him, staring up at the ceiling and thinking back to last night, when she'd almost let Nathan kiss her.

_Of course it was nothing_, she assured herself. _It had to be nothing_.

Because anything other than that would just complicate everything around her.

**To my fellow Brathan lovers, no interaction between them in this chapter either, but I promise that the lack of such between them does **_**not**_** mean that they are over and done with. Far from it in fact J, but they'll come face to face again in the next chapter. Same goes for Lucas and Haley.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N'S Thanks to everyone that reads and most importantly reviews you guys rock! In the Lucas/Haley scene, there's a line that I read in a book a long time that I thought would be perfect for the two. I wonder if any of you can guess where I got it from. Here's a hint…it was a very popular teen book series in the 80's and 90's….**

"Sooo…" Tim began, setting his cue stick next to the pool table and picking up his beer. "You and Rachel huh?"

Nathan hit the cue ball into the newly set triangle and watched as the rest of the balls whizzed around the table. Straightening up, he accepted the new bottle of Corona that Tyler tossed his way. "Let's not go there tonight Tim." He warned, tilting his head back and taking a long sip.

"C'mon Nate, you should've know I was going to ask." Tim defended himself, leaning across the table and taking his turn. "Ace! All-right!" Turning to Nathan, he continued. "I guess this means you and Brooke are history right?"

Nathan let out a huff, and he shot Tim an annoyed look. He knew it was inevitable that his friends would ask him about this and he knew they, well Tim mostly, were dying to bring it up since they'd arrived at that night's frat party out in the nearby college. But he really didn't want to get into it, he didn't want to talk about Brooke. It was bad enough that she'd been on his mind constantly since the incident and talking about it would only make it worse.

"Nah, I wouldn't count on that." he replied casually, leaning across the table and hitting the striped ball expertly. It careened off a solid one and banked off the four sides of the table, dropping smoothly into the side pocket. "Perfect bank shot!" He high-fived Tyler and finished the rest of his Corona in one huge gulp. "I mean, it's me and Brooke man. Y'know, in a couple of days we'll get back together. No big deal." He was lying though his teeth, but there was no way he was going to admit to the guys how bad it really was.

"Shit, I don't know man." Tyler took his turn at the game, contributing to the conversation. "You slept with Rachel, that's screwed up."

"Yeah bro, it's _Rachel_. You know the deal between the two of them." Tim added, shaking his head. "That'd be like her sleeping with Lucas or something. Think about how that would make _you_ feel."

Nathan frowned, pondering that for a minute. "Yeah, never gonna happen." He scoffed, accepting another beer from Brad, who hadn't yet commented. "The guy's a fucking loser, there's no way Brooke would ever lay her eyes on him. Give her a couple of days till she gets over it and we'll be back together in no time."

"If you say so." Tim shrugged, accepting his best friend's take on it. "But if she doesn't, can I spit game at her yo?"

Nathan rolled his eyes, "Tim, just say you want to date her."

His eyes lit up, "So I can?"

Nathan gave him a look, and he shoved him playfully. "Forget it _Dim_." He looked at his friends, focusing his gaze mainly on Brad. "And that goes for all of you. Brooke's off limits."

Brad held up his hands innocently, as if to defend himself. "I got that message loud and clear last time bro, don't worry." He paused, staring at his friend thoughtfully. "But seriously Nate and don't take this the wrong way, but you can warn us off all you want but we're talking about Brooke Davis here. Do you know how many guys at school would die at the chance to get with her? How long before someone else shows an interest in her, what are you gonna do then?"

He shrugged, not really thinking anything of it. "Whether we're together now or not, Brooke's my girl and everyone knows that. And everyone also knows that Nathan Scott's girl is not to be messed with." he smirked. "Nobody will dare make a move on her, trust me."

"Yeah, well you don't have to worry about me man." Tyler replied, starting up the game again and shooting a perfect ace. "I've got my eye on someone else actually."

Nathan smirked, and he shot Tim and Brad a knowing look. "Dude, still with the Haley fantasy?" he laughed, and pointed his beer at him. "Seriously, how many times has she given you the brush-off now? You think you'd get the point after the first 4 times the girl's said no…"

"Very funny Scott." Tyler dead-panned, shooting another perfect shot. "But I was actually talking about the new cheerleader, y'know the cute blonde."

Nathan straightened up immediately and he stared at his friend, frowning. "Peyton?"

Tyler nodded in response, accepting the new beer Brad tossed his way. "Yeah, man what can I say? I've got a thing for blondes."

"She's pretty hot." Brad agreed, nodding his approval.

Nathan rolled his eyes, an unfamiliar feeling spreading across his chest. "Yeah, well don't even think about it man. Stay away from her." He replied roughly, picking up his cue stick and hitting the ball on the pool table, rather aggressively.

Tyler looked over at him in surprise and Tim started laughing. "Whoa, easy there Nate." He commented, sharing an amused look with Brad. "Chill, man. You got something going with the blonde we should know about?"

Nathan hesitated, catching himself. "Nah, man." He replied easily, brushing it off. "I just wouldn't mess with her. That girl is uh, y'know _difficult_. She's crazy. Why even try?"

"That's any girl man. They all like to play hard to get." Tyler retorted in response. "Besides, I like a challenge and this girl has fire, I can tell. I like that."

_Does she ever. _"I just wouldn't mess with her." Nathan repeated, shaking his head. "That girl has issues man."

"You say that like you know her or something." Tyler responded, confused by the strange vibe he was getting from his friend.

"I don't need to know her to know that she's crazy." He replied, frowning at the pool table, unsure of the annoyed feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. "She hangs out with that loser Lucas, by _choice. _I think that says more than enough don't you?"

"I don't care about her problems man." Tyler grinned, dismissing it. "All I care about is what she can do with her mouth, y'know what I mean?" he high-fived Tim, who patted him on the back.

"Whatever man." Nathan rolled his eyes again, trying to ignore the sudden urge to punch Tyler straight in the face and wipe that smirk off his face. "Do what you want. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

"Yeah, you've warned me all-right. In fact, it sounds like you're telling me to stay away. What's the big deal? Yo, Tim is right, you wanna hit that or what?"

"Like I would touch _Pucas's_ leftovers with a ten foot stick." He retorted, although the words left a bad taste in his mouth. "But, hey if that's what you're into…"

"You really think she and Lucas…" Tyler frowned, seriously thinking about it, but in the next instance he shrugged. "Nah, I doubt that. Have you seen the way that loser is so pathetically in love with Haley? I doubt there's anything there, but if I had a best friend _that _hot, I sure as hell wouldn't be able to keep my hands to myself." He commented, talking about Peyton once again. "I don't know how he could hang out with her all day and not even slip even once."

"He's probably gay." Nathan shrugged, thinking the same thing.

"Anyways, speaking of hot blondes.."Tim interjected, nudging Nathan. "You seen the one that's been eyeing you all night?"

Nathan looked over to where his friend was looking and eyed the girl smiling over at him from where she stood across the foyer. She _was _pretty cute, and what the hell? Maybe this was exactly what he needed, to forget about Brooke even for one night. It's not like he was cheating on her anyways…

Slamming back the rest of his drink, he winked at his friends. "I'll see you guys later."

* * *

"Jake, we've been driving for more than 30 minutes now, and you _still_ haven't told me where we're going." Brooke complained, pouting and crossing her arms in front of her.

"Brooke, you've asked me that about every 10 seconds. And I've told you each time that it's a surprise." He laughed, nudging her playfully. "Still as impatient as ever, I see. Nice to see some things never change Davis."

She pretended to glower at him, but found that she couldn't keep the smile from tugging at her lips. Turning towards the window in an effort to hide it, she admired the unfamiliar scenery as it whizzed by them. "It's really nice out today." she commented, turning to look at the back seat and noticing that Jenny was fast asleep. She smiled, and turned back towards the front, enjoying the sunshine on her face and the comfortable silence that surrounded her. It didn't take very long before she was soundly and completely asleep.

Only a little while later, she felt herself being awakened from her deep slumber as Jake softly whispered to her. "Brooke, we're here. Wake up."

Opening her eyes lazily, she rose from the declined seat and looked around, a smile lighting up her face. "The beach?"

"A bright one aren't you?" he teased, chuckling as she shoved him playfully. Unbuckling his seat belt and opening up his side of the door, he leaned towards the back seat, waking up his daughter gently. "But this isn't just any beach Brooke. It's me and Jenny's favorite spot. Just outside of town, right on the border with South Carolina actually."

Smiling, Brooke stepped out, admiring the view. "It's beautiful."

_Not as beautiful as you,_ he wanted to say but instead he smiled, holding out his hand as he balanced his daughter on one side. "I came across this place, the day I found out Nikki was pregnant." he explained. "I took my parents car without permission and just drove for hours and ended up here."

She accepted his hand and looked at him guiltily. "I'm sorry."

He looked over at her in surprise as he pulled them along the long stretch of sand. "Why?"

She looked down and shrugged. "I should've been there for you." she admitted. "When you were going through the whole deal with Nikki...I mean we were always such close friends and I-I should've been there for you."

He smiled at her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "It's okay. You had other things to worry about."

She flinched slightly and he felt bad momentarily, for the unintentional reminder of Nathan. "Hey...I'm sorry."

She turned to him and she forced a smile on her face. "It's okay Jake. Really." Taking a deep breath, she looked towards the ocean. "I'll be okay." she said in a small voice, more to herself than anyone.

He sighed, and he led her and Jenny down the long stretch of sand till he reached a certain spot, a small cove that overlooked the ocean perfectly. "You will be." he reasurred her, turning to look at the endless vast ocean ahead of them. "When I was going through all that with Nikki, I used to come here often. And no matter how big my problems seemed at the time, just looking at the endless, vast perfect blue water..those problems...they always seemed so small in comparison." he turned to look at her and he smiled. "You know, they say that no matter how dark the night might be...the sun always rises again and coming here would alway remind me of that. And that's why I brought you here Brooke. To remind you of that and to tell you that you...you're going to be all-right. You'll get through this."

She smiled back and she stared at the ocean in front of them, feeling for the first time since yesterday, that maybe everything would be all-right after all.

* * *

"So, how sad is this? It's Saturday night and we're both here at your mom's cafe, helping out. Voluntarily, I might add." Peyton commented, walking up to stand next to Lucas as he leaned over the front counter. "We're pathetic."

He shrugged, resting his chin on his hand. "Well, what else is there to do? Our social life is pretty much limited and is reduced to baby-sitting my mom's cafe while she and Keith go out in one of their 'semi-in- denial dates'." he returned dryly. He looked over at her. "Of course, you can always call your new _friend _and find out where all the hot spots are tonight."

"Lucas stop it." Peyton complained, glaring at her best friend. "I told you. There's nothing between Nathan and I so stop treating me like that."

"Like what Peyton?" he straightened up and shook his head at her, annoyed. "Forgive me if I'm a little bothered by your sudden camaraderie with the jerk."

"He's not a _complete_ jerk." The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself and she blushed, looking away. "Things are just...difficult between the two of you. It goes both ways Luke. It's a screwed up situation."

He stared at her hard, both annoyed and surprised at her comment. Was she sticking up for him? Unbelivable.

"Do you like him?"

Her head whipped around to face him. "No! Luke, this is the second time you've asked me that and I don't understand why."

"You don't understand why?" he stared at her, incredulous. "Peyt, you accepted a ride from him, you spent time with him..by _choice. _And you know how I feel about him!" he argued, both of them knowing he was right. "Why else would you have done that if there was nothing there huh? You could've easily just stayed put and waited for me or found another way home but you didn't. You went with him and you would've never done that if there wasn't something going on. If there wasn't something changing with you. And that little comment you just made? It sounded like you were defending him."

"I was not defending him." she protested. "I was just...putting it in perspective."

He let out a long sigh. "I just..I don't understand. I thought you hated him too Peyt."

"I never hated him." she responded, avoiding his gaze. "I hated the way he treated.._treats_ you. But I never hated him. How could I, if I hardly knew him?"

"As opposed to now right?" he scoffed, trying to decipher the play of emotions flashing through her green eyes.

She ducked her head, knowing exactly what he was trying to do. "Let's just drop it okay?" she responded, wanting desperately to move on. "It doesn't even matter anymore."

* * *

"You got in pretty late last night." Dan commented as he walked into the weight room early the next morning. "What are you slinging?"

"160." Nathan grunted in response.

"160?" Dan scoffed, shaking his head and dropping another weight on the bench press. He moved straight behind him to spot him. "Your mom called again this morning. She'll be here in a couple of days."

"Yeah, so?" Nathan huffed out, watching out of the corner of his eye as his Dad added another weight to the bench press.

"You'd think you'd be a little more excited to have your mother come home." His Dad responded in a dry tone. "But you do know that this means no more cute little sleepovers with Ms. Davis don't you?"

Nathan almost dropped the weights at the reminder of his..ex. "Mom wouldn't care." he scoffed, knowing his mom had always had a soft spot for Brooke. "But you don't have to worry Dad. We broke up." God, even saying the words sent a burning pain across his chest.

"Really?" Dan raised his eyebrows, unable to mask his surprise. He knew how much his son really did love the girl, seeing as how he's stuck by her for a little over 2 years now. "What'd you do son?" he inquired, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Y'know what it doesn't matter." He dismissed it quickly. "This is probably for the best. You need to have your entire concentration on basketball instead of following that girl around like a love sick puppy like you have for the past 2 years. Girls come and go the only thing that should matter to you right now is basketball if you want to get somewhere."

"Yeah, you would say that." Nathan muttered in response.

* * *

She must've been standing outside Lucas's bedroom for a good twenty minutes before she finally worked up enough courage to raise her hand and knock hesitantly.

The door flew open a couple of seconds later and neither girl could mask their surprise at seeing the other one there.

"Haley…hey." Getting over the initial surprise, Peyton opened the door wider and smiled at the other girl. "What…what are you doing here?"

"Hey." She returned, shifting nervously on the front step. "I-I came to talk to Lucas but if this is a bad time I can come back. It's no big deal." She turned around, ready to bolt when Peyton's voice stopped her.

"Haley, wait."

She turned around and Peyton smiled at her. "It's fine. Lucas just jumped into the shower and I uh..was just leaving actually." Ushering her inside, she turned back towards her. "Lucas should be out any minute. Will you just tell him to call me later?"

Haley nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear, still a bit nervous. "Sure."

"Okay." Peyton nodded. "Well see ya…and good luck."

Before Haley could ask her what she meant by that, the other girl was out the door and Haley let out a long breath, walking hesitantly towards the bed in the middle of the room and sitting down. She smiled as she looked towards his dresser and noticed a couple of framed pictures standing perfectly on top. Walking towards them, a particular picture stood out. It was a picture of a younger looking Lucas and Peyton, looking at each other, laughing as they swung on a swing set.

"I told you I wasn't going to take long." The sound of the bathroom door opening and slamming startled her and she turned towards him, wide-eyed. "Done in record ti-"

He cut off abruptly and he stared at the blonde in front of him, shocked. "Haley?"

She looked away from him, trying not to let the sight of his half-naked body affect her and she took a deep breath, already feeling the blush creeping up her cheeks. "I'm sorry I'm just…" she turned around, closing her eyes. "I'm going to go." She rushed towards the front door and his voice stopped her.

"No, wait. Don't go Haley." Getting over the initial surprise, he fumbled around for a t-shirt and he pulled it on quickly.

"Okay." She replied, letting go of the doorknob and turning around slowly. She smiled at him. "Hey."

"Hey." he replied back, walking towards her tentatively. "So uh...what are you doing here?"

She looked down, fumbling with the bottom of her sweater nervously. "I uh..wanted to talk to you about um..well about what happened on Friday night.."

"Oh. Uh, yeah about that.."

"It took me by surprise." she blurted out, looking up into his blue eyes and surprised to find him but a couple of inches away from her. "I-I didn't know what to say and..it scared me." she admitted. "It just..it came out of nowhere Lucas and I-"

He shook his head, cutting her off gently, his tone soft. "It didn't come out of nowhere Haley. It's been there all along."

"What do you mean?" she asked quietly, her heart thumping wildly as she stared into his soft gaze.

He let out a long sigh and he looked away from her momentarily. "I mean that...I've been wanting to do that a while. A long while actually." turning back to her, he took a step closer to her. "Kissing you. That was something that has been on my mind since the first moment I laid eyes on you."

He took another step and he pulled her in close, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, catching her completely by surprise. She closed her eyes and exhaled, tentatively wrapping her arms around his waist. "Really?"

"Yes." he responded quietly, his hands reaching up to cup her face tenderly and pulling back to look at her. "I've pictured that moment in my mind about a million different times and..."

"And?"

"And each time in my mind, you would look at me with those gorgeous brown eyes and I would lean even closer, slowly..." he began, his voice incredibly soft. "And your breath would hitch and your heart...your heart would pound so hard, it almost beat out of your chest. Just like mine and then..."he closed his eyes, leaning closer to her, his voice down to a whisper. "Then, I would lean over and my lips would touch yours...ever so lightly..." his actions followed his words and their lips touched, in the most softest of kisses.

"Was it everything you expected?" she whispered, her eyes still closed and trying desperately to keep her emotions in check.

And he smiled. The most genuine and sincere smile she had ever seen in anyone. "It was more than that. It was everything I ever wanted."

"Lucas...." letting out a long sigh, she looked back into his perfect blue eyes.

"Every time that I'm with you...I can feel it." ignoring her small protest, he laced his fingers with hers, looking down as they intertwined perfectly. "Anytime that we touch...every time that you look at me..." his gaze locked with hers. "Tell me you don't feel it too."

"Lucas..." she whispered, feeling this overwhelming sensation overtaking her every core. "I..feel it too. But I'm scared." she admitted, feeling a million different emotions coursing through her. "Just..just give me time please."

He smiled again, brushing another tender kiss across her forehead. "Okay." he responded. "I know you're not ready for this yet. For us. And I'm okay with that. Really I am. And I'll give you all the time you need Haley. I will. Because I will _always _be here for you Haley James."

She nodded, and she closed her eyes. "Okay." she whispered, her heart an ocean of emotions as she could feel him cupping her face gently. Opening her eyes, she stared into his ocean-blue eyes as he stared at her for what seemed like the longest of moments, before finally leaning over and softly capturing her lips with his own.

Everything in her life had always been so perfectly balanced. She always knew what to expect. But he changed that. Because she feels so strongly for him and it scares her because he was still a stranger to her in so many ways.

But he had changed her life, with that one kiss, with that one moment.

His soul had touched hers.

And that was something that only happened once in a lifetime.

_

* * *

_

You can do this Brooke. It's very easy. You get out of the car and you take the few steps that it takes to get into the main building, with your head held high and that's it. It's nothing.

If only it was that easy.

Her hands were shaking as they gripped the steering wheel and she felt like her stomach was going to bottom out on her any minute. She chastised herself for freaking out like this. For Pete's sake, she'd been sitting out in the parking lot in her car for the past 20 minutes now, trying to get it together.

_Quit stalling girl c'mon!_

Taking several deep breaths, she finally managed enough courage to open the door and slowly step out. She was halfway down the path that led to the main entrance, when she felt her resolve start to drop away slowly. It took everything in her to keep going and she pasted a fake, bright smile on her face, held her head high and ignored the stares and the whispers as she walked by.

She could do this. She had to. Because Brooke Davis was strong and she could get through this. Fake smile and all.

Walking through the main entrance, her emotions still intact she pushed through the double glass doors and stepped into the usually crowded hallways.

She had taken but a few steps when she looked up and saw Nathan, standing directly in front of the locker that belonged to her and her heart literally stopped.

She stood frozen to that spot, unable to look away or even move and she must have made a sound, because he looked up immediately in her direction.

And then it was as if the entire world stood still and everything else faded away as his gorgeous blue orbs connected with hers.

"Brooke…"

That was all it took. The soft whisper of her name passing through his lips, the ones that were so painfully familiar to her and it all fell apart inside of her.

Feeling the walls closing in on her and the faint prickling of tears building behind her eyes, she clamped her hand over her mouth, barely masking the sob that escaped her lips. Turning on her heel, she flew out of there, pushing through the rush of students urgently, desperate to get out of there.

And with every rushed step, she could feel her heart breaking all over again.

**So, not exactly the confrontation I said would happen right? Lol, please don't hate me!! I promise that there **_is_ **a major talk (more like blow up) between Brathan..hope you guys enjoyed anyway and don't forget to review!!**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N Hey everyone! I'm soo sorry for the almost 'monthly' updates. I swear, life just keeps on getting in the way and I hate that I can't update as often as I want to. I promise, that I'll try my hardest not to take so long next time. Hope you guys like this next chapter, and don't forget to review :)**

Flopping over onto her side, Haley reached across her bed to the nightstand and hit the blaring, annoying alarm off.

It wasn't necessary, she hadn't slept a wink all night. But despite the lack of sleep she had never felt so…awake. So alive, and just completely aware of everything around her.

Jumping out of the bed, she walked over to her window and pushed back the window drapes, letting the warm and early sunshine flow into her room.

"Good morning sunshine, good morning world!" She sing-songed, unable to stop from giggling at herself. She was being silly, but she couldn't help it. Humming to herself, she couldn't keep the smile from spreading across her lips as she walked out into the hall and into the restroom.

Her heart beat with a new feeling that morning. And she couldn't deny that this new overpowering emotion had everything to do with Lucas Scott and the amazing, almost indescribable feeling that enveloped her whenever she was near him.

Jumping into the shower quickly, she closed her eyes as the warm water cascaded over her. A contented sigh fell from her lips as her mind took her to the events from last night….

_Letting her hands rest comfortingly on his broad shoulders, Haley finally let herself give in to the wave of emotions coursing through her. Lifting herself slightly on her tiptoes she leaned into his lean, strong body as his hands tangled in her hair, his lips moving with hers in a natural, almost synchronized motion._

_He skimmed his hands down her back, unable to stop touching her as her hands reached out to caress each side of his face, their kiss deepening with each passing second._

_As his hands tightened around her waist, she felt him backing up slowly, taking him with her. When the back of his legs hit the side of his bed, he settled down comfortably, never once breaking contact._

_Feeling an almost nervous anticipation stir within her, she settled herself in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, bringing her body even closer to his as his mouth explored hers openly, hungrily._

_She sighed into his mouth, her lips moving easily against his. She felt like she couldn't breathe or even move. A part of her couldn't quite believe that she was there with him, in that moment. They were together. How had this happened? So easily and so effortlessly?_

_And yet another part of her, the one that didn't want to question how fast things were progressing between them, wanted to stay there with him forever and just lose herself…._

_Falling back on the bed, he brought her down on top of him gently, letting out a soft moan as she shifted on top of him. _

_Their kiss became more urgent and more frantic with each passing second, she felt his hands slide underneath her shirt and up her back._

_Shivering slightly, she suddenly pulled back. "No, no. Wait." She whispered breathlessly, opening her eyes and starting at him. "Lucas…I-I can't."_

_Disentangling herself from him, she got up off him quickly, trying to catch her breath as she stared into his gorgeous blue eyes, seeing the same intense desire staring back at her. _

_And that's probably what scared her more than anything. _

_Yeah, so much for taking it slow._

"_I'm sorry." She whispered, turning her back to him and closing her eyes, trying desperately to gain back control of her whirling emotions. _

"_Hey, hey don't be." He straightened up quickly and walked over to her._

"_You have nothing to apologize for Haley." He assured her, grabbing her hand and turning her gently so that she could face him. "It's okay." He murmured, a sincere smile playing across his lips as he tilted her chin up, so that he could stare into those beautiful brown eyes of hers. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to do. We'll take it as slow as you want. I promise."_

_She nodded, letting out a long breath as she stared back at him. "Thank you." she replied quietly, believing him. She knew that he would never do anything to pressure her into doing something she wasn't quite ready for yet._

_He smiled, pulling back slightly so that he could brush a sweet kiss across her forehead."Just being here like this, with you in my arms, is perfect." He murmured into her hair, his arms tightening around her. _

_Feeling her heart overflow with deep affection, she closed her eyes, smiling as she settled deep in his embrace. Feeling his heart beating steadily against hers, she was sure she had never felt anything so comforting and so powerful in her entire life._

It had been absolute torture to tear herself away from him last night. To put a stop to his kisses, to his touch. Because as much as she hated to admit it, and as much as it scared her…nothing had ever felt as good or as natural, as when his lips were pressed against hers.

He was intoxicating, and she realized that she couldn't stay away, even if she tried.

Stepping out of the shower, she headed back to her room and straight for the closet immediately pulling out her favorite dark blue jeans. Looking critically at her tops, she pushed several aside until she came across a barely there top that Brooke had given her a while back, but had never really had the guts to wear.

She stared at it for what seemed like the longest time, before finally pulling it on. Walking over to her vanity mirror, she stared at herself critically and admired the way the slinky top clung to her upper body, revealing just enough cleavage and midriff to make it look sexy but not trashy.

This was so unlike her.

To primp and preen before the mirror, assuring that her hair and make-up was just right. She had never spent more than just 10 minutes getting ready and she almost chastised herself for doing so, but she couldn't explain the sudden need.

A knock on her door snapped her out of her thoughts and the door opened before her mom's frame came through.

"Honey, there's a boy waiting for you outside."

Startled, she turned towards her mother."Uh..okay. Um, I'll be right out." Her heart thumping wildly in her chest, she checked her reflection one last time. Had Lucas stopped by?

Slipping on a pair of 1-inch heel sandals, she reached for her backpack and sprayed on her favorite perfume before slipping out her room and down the stairs, her pulse accelerating in anticipation.

Flinging the door open, the smile died quickly on her lips as she stared at the person waiting for her on the other end. "What are you doing here Felix?"

"I take it you're not a morning person are you?" he shook his head and grinned, clearly amused at her less than friendly demeanor.

"It's not really the morning I have a problem with." she responded pointedly, not bothering to disguise her obvious annoyance. "Seriously, what are you doing here?"

He shrugged, the grin never leaving his face. "I was actually hoping to take you to school today."

Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms in front of her. "You're kidding right? Felix, just because I agreed to tutor you doesn't mean you can just show up at my house announced and expect me to just go with you. I thought I made it more than clear that I wanted nothing to do with you unless it had to do with scholastic matter. Remember the rules?"

Giving her that infuriating grin, she knew he thought was _sooo_ charming, he brushed off her comment. "And since when have you ever known Felix Tagaro to follow any rules, baby doll?"

Glaring at him forcefully, she attempted to close the door on him, but he held out a hand and stopped her. "Haley, I was just kidding. Look, if it really offends you that much, I'll just leave okay? But here, I brought you this." handing her a large Starbucks cup, he smiled again. "Your favorite."

Staring at him, she accepted the drink somewhat apprehensively. "Iced Green Tea Latte?" she questioned, unable to hide the surprise in her brown eyes. "How did you…?"

"How did I know?" he smirked, watching as she stared down at the drink in her hand. "Well, you'd be surprised at the small things one can notice." He shrugged, as she lifted her eyes to meet his quizzically. "Okay, so maybe I've noticed that Jagielski used to bring you one of these almost every morning. Y'know for the longest I thought you and him had something going."

"Me and Jake?" she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. "That's ridiculous. He's like my brother." Fiddling with the top of the cup, she took a tentative sip. "I just…I didn't think you'd notice something like that." she admitted.

"Well, consider it a thank you really." At her questioning look, he elaborated. "For showing up on Saturday, and taking a chance on me."

"Um..well okay. You're welcome, I guess." She nodded, finally managing a somewhat friendly smile. Smiling back, he lifted his hand in a wave, turning around and walking in the direction of his car.

"Felix, wait."

Grinning to himself smugly, he turned around, giving her an innocent look. "Yeah?"

"Um, listen…I just realized that I don't…I usually ride with Brooke and Nathan, but.." letting out a breath, she hesitated slightly. "And my mom's car is in the shop so I.." biting her lip, she looked over at him as she met him halfway. "This doesn't change the way I think about you okay? So, don't try anything funny." She warned.

Holding up his hands innocently, he grinned widely. "Just a ride to school." He agreed. "No ulterior motives, I promise."

She stared at him for the longest time, before finally giving a small smile. "Okay."

"By the way..you look really beautiful Haley."

She rolled her eyes, and pulled at her top consciously. "Don't make me regret this Felix." She glared at him and he just laughed, opening the passenger door of his newest toy, a fire-red V-6 Mustang convertible.

Jingling his keys in his hands, he went over to the other side, unable to keep the smug grin from appearing on his lips as he settled into the driver's seat, watching as Haley fidgeted nervously on the other side and stared out the window.

_You'll crack slowly Haley James. Surely but slowly._

_And then you'll be mine._

* * *

"Brooke! Slow down!" Nathan hollered, not caring really that the entire student body was staring at him as he rushed out the double doors of the main entrance after the brunette beauty. It had taken him but a split second to react and spring into motion once he'd seen her. "Brooke!"

"Leave me the hell alone!" she called out over her shoulder, her voice strangled as she continued to rush down the steps and into the student parking lot, in desperate search of her car.

Picking up his pace, he pushed past the stream of students rushing by and he finally caught up with her, slightly out of breath. Damn, who knew she could walk so fast?

Grabbing her arm he swung her around to face him, his face falling and his heart constricting in his chest as he caught sight of the absolutely tortured look on her face.

She was sobbing openly, completely broken and he had to take a deep breath, fighting the lump in his throat as he realized once again, that she was like this because of him.

"Brooke..baby…" he whispered hoarsely, reaching out to wipe the tears running freely down her face. "I'm sorr-"

"'Don't." she responded harshly, pushing his hand away roughly and freeing herself from his grasp. "Don't you _dare_ Nathan Scott. Don't you dare give me one of your infamous apologies or stupid explanations. I don't want to hear them! You can't fix this Nathan. You can't."

"Brooke.." he started again, forcing her to look at him. "You can't keep on avoiding me. You have to talk to me eventually."

"There's nothing to talk about here Nathan!" she screamed, absolutely furious now. "We're done! For good now, I told you that, and you need to get that through your head!"

"I can't okay?" he yelled back, feeling frustration creep up on him. "I can't just let you go, Brooke. Don't ask me to do that because I love you."

She gaped at him, and her eyes filled with tears again as a shiver went down her spine involuntarily at his words and the way he was gazing at her. Pushing that feeling quickly aside, a new one replaced it and she let out a humorless laugh.

Pulling her hand back, she slapped him across the face as hard as she could. "Stop it! Don't..how can you stand there and utter those words after what you did to me? You're…you're unbelievable. I hate you Nathan Scott! Go to hell!"

Rubbing his hand across his stinging cheek, he stared on in almost shock as she jumped into her car and sped out of the parking lot, without a backwards glance.

"Fuck!" he cursed, clenching and unclenching his fists as he breathed out roughly. Pulling out his keys quickly, he sprinted towards his car, throwing his backpack into the backseat.

"Scott!" a rough voice called out behind him and he swiveled around, watching as Whitey approached him, looking stern. "What do you think you're doing boy?"

Rolling his eyes, he let out a frustrated sound. "Whitey, not now okay?"

"Don't even think for a second that you're actually going to bail your classes to go goof off right under my nose, Scott." He warned, coming to stand right in front of his star-player.

"This is important." He slammed his hand on the hood of his car angrily. "I'm sorry." He opened up the driver's seat quickly but Whitey's voice stopped him.

"More important than next week's game against Bear Creek?" he questioned gruffly. "Go to class Scott or you _will _be sorry when I have to bench you for skipping out on class. And even more when you have to explain to your _father_ why exactly you're not on the starting line-up. Got it?"

Before Nathan could even respond, the older man was already gone and Nathan slumped against the side door, feeling something close to defeat washing over him.

Damn it, as much as he hated to admit it to himself, Whitey was right. He knew his coach wasn't one to back out on his word and he knew his Dad would be absolutely furious if he was in fact benched for that game against Bear Creek. And he knew he would be even more furious, if he found out the particular reason.

"_You mean to tell me that Whitey benched you because you skipped class, all to go _after a _**girl**_?"

He shook his head, he could already hear his Dad's angry voice in his head. But what the hell was he supposed to do? Brooke had taken off, an emotional wreck and he couldn't just forget that. He couldn't just forget the absolutely crushed look in her eyes. He didn't think he'd ever be able to erase that from his mind. Ever.

Feeling his heart sitting heavily in his chest and not knowing what else to do, he picked up his backpack and shoved his keys back into his pocket.

He had taken just a couple of steps, when a familiar mustang whizzed by, before screeching to a stop in the parking space next to him.

Recognizing the car quickly as Felix's, he didn't pay much attention, until a familiar voice floated over to him.

"Damn it Felix! How in the hell did you ever get your license?"

Turning around, he frowned and watched as both Felix and Haley stepped out of the car.

"Oh, c'mon Haley." The tan boy started in his usual arrogant tone. "That was fun. Best ride of your life, baby doll."

She was about to respond, when she looked up and found Nathan glaring their way. Felix noticed too and he grinned smugly, unfazed by the other boy's stance. "What's up Scott?"

Grunting in response, Nathan directed his gaze towards the blonde. "Haley, can I talk to you?"

Laughing slightly, Felix gave Haley's shoulder a squeeze and sent her a wink. "I'll see ya later tonight, baby doll." Smirking over at the tall basketball player, he brushed past him. "Later Scott."

"Seriously Haley?" Nathan asked incredulously, staring at the slightly nervous blonde in front of him. "What's going on?"

She shifted on her feet, and avoided his gaze. "What do you mean?"

"After everything he's done to you, you're riding to school with him?" he shook his head. "And going on a date with him? What the hell where you thinking?" he couldn't keep the slightly angry, and almost overprotective tone from seeping into his voice. Regardless of how pissed off he still was with her over the turn of events this past weekend, he couldn't help but feel apprehensive and angry over seeing her with Felix.

Letting out a sigh, she finally met his gaze. "I'm not going on a _date_ with him Nathan. He just…"

_Do you think that we can keep this tutoring thing between us? __I'd just hate everyone to know that the great and bad ass Felix Tagaro is actually really stupid and failing all his classes._

"He just was going to meet me after school for Mr. Peterson's biology notes." She replied quickly. "That's all."

"Okay, if you say so. But I just don't trust that guy." He warned. "Just..be careful all right?"

She nodded, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I will." She promised, giving him a tentative smile. "Nathan.." she started, hesitantly. "Are we..are we okay?"

"We're not Haley. I can't just forget the fact that you sold me out and disregarded years of friendship, all for your little…whatever the hell that punk is to you."

"Nathan, it wasn't like that…"

Rolling his eyes, he let out a humorless laugh. "Oh, yes it was Haley. Don't think you're getting off the hook that easily for you part in all of this." seeing she was about to protest, he shook his head. "Look, just forget it okay? I really don't want to get into that right now. There's something else I wanted to talk to you about." He paused, letting out a long breath. "I'm worried about Brooke."

Her head snapped up and she stared at him, slightly panicked. "What happened? Is she okay?"

"No. She's not. We had a…a little run in this morning and she just took off and I don't…I don't know what to do." He admitted, shaking his head sadly. "I'm probably the last person she wants to see right now…but I can't just…she needs someone Haley. She was really upset and I can't bear the thought of her going through this alone."

Feeling a faint prickle of tears as she thought of her best friend, Haley could only imagine the pain she must be going through right now. "Well, if you're the last person she wants to see right now, I'm probably the second to last person Nate. She and I…we haven't talked yet." She admitted sadly.

He sighed, looking back at her. "I've never really asked you for anything before Haley. But at the moment, you'll probably have better luck than me. Please, can you just go look for her and make sure she's okay?"

"Don't worry, Nate." She replied softly, reaching out to squeeze his hand, knowing the raven-haired boy was torturing himself with how much he'd hurt the beautiful girl he so deeply loved. "I'll make sure she's okay."

Once he was out of sight, Haley closed her eyes and let out a long, deep sigh. As much as she wanted to be that person to be there for Brooke, she knew at the moment she couldn't be. If things had really gone down as bad as Nathan said that morning, her showing up would probably only really make it worse.

Taking out her cell phone, she dialed the one person she knew Brooke needed to be there for her. The one who could soothe her and comfort her in a way that neither she nor Nathan could right now.

"Jake? I need to ask you to do something for me."

* * *

"I knew I'd find you here."

Recognizing the soft voice, Brooke didn't even bother to look up. She hugged her knees to her chest, not bothering to wipe of the stream of tears that hadn't stopped flowing since she'd left her cheating ex-boyfriend behind.

"You're going to get in trouble with Whitey." She responded, without looking up at him, her gaze trained on the river flowing beneath her, under the bridge.

He shrugged and let out a deep sigh. Honestly? That was the least of his worries right now. "It's okay." He replied softly, as he settled in next to her.

"How'd you find me?" she questioned, staring straight ahead of her.

"I've known you my entire life Brooke." He responded softly. "And despite us drifting apart, I'd like to think I still know you pretty damn well." Looking out at the scenery ahead of him, he turned to look back at the beautiful broken girl next to him. "This is where you used to run off to when we were younger and you'd had a major fight with Haley, or when your parents would leave on one of their trips or..whenever you just wanted to be alone." His hand reached out to grabs hers gently and he was almost surprised at the fierce way she held onto him.

Feeling the now comforting feeling of his arms enveloping her, she broke down completely. "I hate him Jake." She sobbed, unable to stop now. "I hate him so much. For what he did…but most of all…because despite everything I still love him. With all my heart."

Closing his eyes and sighing deeply, he pressed a kiss to her head. "It's okay, Brooke."

She shook her head against his chest, barely holding it together. "No, it's not." she choked out. "Nothing is okay right now and it'll never be okay ever again. I want to hate him so bad Jake, but I can't. Why does it have to hurt so much?"

"Because you love him." He replied gently, brushing her tears away from her face, wanting desperately to erase all her pain. "When someone you truly love, hurts you, it'd be so easy to just hate them. It'd be a hell of a lot easier, to just deal with the anger, and not the pain. And I wish you didn't have to go through that pain, I really do. But I promise you that you'll get through this, it'll get easier and I'll be here for you. You're not alone and I won't let anything happen to you okay?"

Taking a deep breath, she nodded, finally looked up into his chocolate brown eyes. "What are you doing here Jake?"

"Haley called me." he admitted, looking down into her tear-stained face. His breath caught in his throat as he stared down at her. Despite, the heartbroken state she was in, she was still the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. "Nathan asked Haley to look after you. He's worried about you, so he asked Haley to be there for you. She's worried about you too, Brooke."

"They don't have a right to be." she responded, angrily brushing the tears away from her eyes, as a new wave of pain rushed through her heart at the mere mention of the two people she'd loved more than anything. "They have _no_ right."

"They both love you Brooke. It may be hard for you to believe right now, but they both love you. And Haley's still your best friend."

Pulling her back into his arms, he rubbed her arms comfortingly, letting her mull over her thoughts. "Look around you Brooke." He murmured gently. "The stars will still twinkle at night and the sun will still rise each morning and do you know why? Because life goes on, and even though it may seem like the end of world right now, it's not."

And she only cried harder at that, grasping onto him gratefully as the never ending tears took over her again. She knew he was right. It wasn't the end of the world, but it sure felt like it.

Life goes on.

He was right, but could life really go on for her without Nathan Scott?

The idea was almost unfathomable to her and just the thought of that hurt more than anything she ever thought possible.

* * *

By the time lunchtime rolled around, Nathan didn't think he'd ever felt so restless or frustrated. He hadn't been able to concentrate on a single class, as Brooke had been the only thought in his mind all morning.

He didn't know how much longer of this he could take. He felt literally, like he was going to lose it at any moment.

He wandered out into the quad, wondering if he could just skip out on lunch. He wasn't hungry anyways, and he really didn't want to deal with any of the guys right now.

He was halfway towards the student parking lot, when he spotted a certain tan, spiky-haired jackass.

"Yo, Felix." Nathan called out coolly, stopping the other boy from making it further down the quad. "I believe, we've got a conversation pending man."

"Hmm. I wonder what _this_ could be about." He responded, just as coolly. "What's going on man?"

"I think I should be the one asking _you_ that." he retorted. "Listen, I don't know what the hell you're trying to pull but I'm just going to tell you this one time. Back off Haley, man."

"Come again?" he laughed, slightly amused.

"You heard me. I didn't stutter." He responded, a menacing glint in his eyes. "You're lucky I didn't kick your ass after the bullshit you pulled on her last time."

"Aw, isn't that sweet." Felix smirked, clearly unfazed. "How you've got the girl's back, even after what _she_ pulled on _you_. Didn't think you had it in you, Scott. To be such a good and _loyal_ friend. Too bad she can't return the favor huh?" he nodded in the direction directly in back of him, a smug grin on his face. Nathan turned, and with narrowed eyes, watched as the subject matter of their conversation was sitting closely, whispering and smiling with his sworn enemy across the quad.

"Whatever man. You've been warned."

_

* * *

_

Just a few minutes earlier….

Walking happily down the quad at lunchtime, Lucas smiled as he spotted Haley sitting over by the far corner, poring over a book. He chuckled as he watched her, intently reading, unaware of the noise and chaos that lunchtime at any high-school usually brought.

Looking towards his left, he didn't think twice before snapping a blooming pink rose from the nearest shrubbery.

He made his way towards her and he was right behind her and she was still unaware. Stooping low, he leaned in and brushed a kiss on her cheek. "Hey there beautiful." He whispered.

Startled, she turned to look at him wide-eyed, smiling almost immediately. "Hey." She replied, her tone matching his.

Whipping his hand from behind his back, he smiled as he provided her with the intricate flower. "A beautiful rose, for an even more beautiful girl."

Accepting the flower, she smiled as he settled in next to her. Leaning over on impulse, she gripped his shirt lightly as she brushed her lips across his softly. "Thank you."

Grinning widely at her show of affection, he leaned forward and captured her lips with his one more time. "I missed you." he admitted, brushing the hair out of her eyes tenderly. "After last night…"

And she blushed at that, looking down at the table quickly before bringing her eyes to meet his. "Lucas.." she started, biting her lip as she looked into his intense gaze. "I thought we were going to take it slow."

"And we are." He reassured her. "Which is why I want to ask you out on our first official date."

She smiled, "A date?"

"Yeah, so…" he smiled, taking her hands in his and staring into her eyes intently. "Haley James, would you like to go out on a date with me Friday night?"

"Well…" she started teasingly, her eyes twinkling. "I might have to check my planner." He pretended to scowl and she giggled. "But I guess since you asked so nicely and everything…" leaning towards him again, she planted another sweet kiss on his lips. "I would love to Lucas Scott."

"Well then. It's a date." He whispered huskily, tilting his head so that he could brush his lips across hers.

Forgetting momentarily that she was on the quad in the middle of lunchtime, where the entire student body could see her, she leaned into him, twining her hands behind his head and deepening the kiss.

After a couple of minutes, she pulled away, giggling faintly. "That was nice."

"Hmm. Oh, yeah, really nice." He grinned, twining their hands together as he pressed his forehead against hers. His smile faltered slightly as something caught his gaze momentarily.

Noticing his sudden change of demeanor, she turned towards where he was staring, catching sight of his blonde best friend, walking towards the parking lot. Turning back to him, she placed her hands on his face. "Hey. What's wrong? Everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah everything's fine." He paused, frowning. "At least I think it is."

"Did you and Peyton have a fight?"

Shaking his head, he elaborated. "No, we didn't fight. But..I found out Saturday, that after the game on Friday night, Nathan and Peyton were together."

Her eyebrows shot up and she stared at him in surprise. "What?"

"No, not like that." he clarified. "At least..I don't think so." Sighing deeply, he furrowed his brows together in that usual 'broody' manner she'd become so fond of lately. "But I guess they've been 'talking' or something and I..I don't know what to make of it." he admitted, looking back at her. "She says it's nothing, but she's just…been acting so different and just so _unlike _her y'know? At times, I almost feel like she's pulling back and hiding something from me."

"You don't think she and Nathan are…?"

"No." he shook his head. "She swore that there was nothing going on between them and I believe her. She wouldn't lie to me, and even if she did, I'd see right through it. I know her better than anyone else, and even though I know she's not lying to me, I know there's _something_ going on with her. I just can't put my finger on it."

Sighing, Haley looked over to where Lucas's gaze had been trained moments ago. She too saw the curly blonde walking across the quad towards the parking lot. But what Lucas didn't notice and what caught her attention was the sudden appearance of Nathan.

He'd too obviously caught sight of the blonde cheerleader and she watched as her childhood friend and her best friend's current ex-boyfriend grabbed the other girl's hand, forcing her to stop and look at him.

Watching intently, she saw as he tried to talk to her only to have her glare in return and push past him. She saw him shake his head and run his hands through his dark locks as he watched her leave.

A sudden memory flashed in her mind, and she thought back to that one day at the tutor center when she'd caught sight of Nathan and Peyton out by the quad, hanging out. At the moment, she'd also felt an almost unsettling feeling at seeing them together and she didn't know why.

But now, after what she'd just witnessed, she finally figured out what that feeling had been all along.

Those two were so painfully obvious on a crash course headed straight for each other and even she could see it coming from a mile away.

Letting out a deep sigh, she could only think of her missing and heartbroken best friend and one thought kept running through her mind.

Things were definitely just about to get extremely complicated.

* * *

"Haley James, just_ what_ have you done with my best friend?" Peyton began teasingly as she came to stand besides the other blonde girl at that day's cheerleading practice.

Tearing her eyes away from the blonde basketball player, Haley turned to Peyton and smiled. "What do you mean?"

The curly blonde laughed as she stretched her muscles. "I don't think I've ever seen him so happy." She replied honestly, the smile never leaving her face. "You have the best effect on him, I've never seen anything like it."

Shaking her head, Haley tried to disguise the blush creeping up on her cheeks as she looked over at the tall and _extremely _handsome basketball player practicing his shots on the other end of the gym.

Looking up, he noticed her gaze and he grinned widely, blowing her a kiss and her blush further deepened as she grinned back, sending him what she hoped was a discreet wave and wink.

"Aw." Peyton teased good-naturedly, noticing the sweet exchange. "You guys are just _sooo _cute!"

"Shut up!" Haley laughed, shoving the other blonde playfully as they made their way towards the other end of the gym. "Just wait till you-"

The sudden entrance of the Raven's star player into the gym captured Haley's attention and she hesitated, watching as the basketball captain strolled into the gym, briefly shooting a look Peyton's way before catching a long ball from Tim and dribbling down the court expertly, ending in an impressive slam dunk.

"Um, uh speaking of certain effects on guys.." Haley began, turning to give her full attention to Peyton. "I wanted to talk to you about-"

"What's up bitches?" Rachel flounced into the gym, cutting whatever Haley was about to say. Throwing her gym bag and pom-poms on the floor, she placed her arms on her hips, grinning at Haley in an oddly smug way. "Where's our oh, so fearless leader?" Tapping one manicured finger on her chin, she didn't wait for the blonde tutor to answer. "Wait, let me guess. She's at home nursing a broken heart?"

"Stop being such a bitch Rachel." Peyton rolled her eyes, surprising the other girls with her tone."I know it's hard for you and all, but nobody asked your opinion."

If the redhead was surprised over the curly blonde's sudden outburst, she hid it well. "Retract the claws Blondie." She responded. "I was just making a simple observation, no need to jump in the girls' defense. Besides, Brooke's already got a best friend." Raking her eyes over Haley slowly, she smirked. "Although not a very good one if you ask me, isn't that right Haley?" she asked sweetly.

Haley took a deep breath, willing herself not to get upset over that particular comment. "Screw you, Rachel."

"Oh, honey I believe Nathan already did." The redhead shot back, crossing her arms in front of her and smirking at her in a way that made her blood boil. "Now it just sucks, that your little best friend had to find out the way she did. Although, honestly I don't think I've ever enjoyed anything more than watching the _amazing_ Brooke Davis fall apart."

What came next, took everyone in the gym by complete surprise. Without a second's hesitation, Haley took a step towards Rachel and landed a clean, smooth slap across her face. "Leave Brooke the hell alone, you hear me?" she hissed, between clenched teeth. "You've done enough damage as it is you whore."

"You little bitch." Rachel growled out, clutching her already reddening cheek. Lunging at the petite blonde before anyone could do anything, she brought her down to the floor hard.

The next couple of seconds were pure chaos, as some of the guys hooted from across the other side of the gym and as Peyton and Bevin and the other girls tried to break up Haley and Rachel, who were tussling and rolling around the floor angrily.

"What the hell is going on?" Whitey's booming voice cut through the commotion as he walked into the gym. "What the hell do you guys think this is? An audition for WWE Smackdown Divas? Break it up, or get out of my gym!" Looking around at his players, his eyes narrowed. "Now, where the hell is Jagielsky?" he demanded.

* * *

After a long, hot shower in the locker rooms, Peyton was one of the very last few to file out. Her muscles were still aching from the long and strenuous practice. Add to that the fact that her left cheek was stinging fiercely, she wanted more than anything to go home and just crash.

"Damn it, that bitch has a strong punch." Peyton muttered to herself, reaching to touch the spot that Rachel's hand had connected with when she'd managed to disentangle Haley from the redhead. "That's what I get for trying to intervene in a serious cat fight. No good deed ever goes unpunished, that's for sure."

"Talking to yourself now, are you?"

Looking up, her eyes narrowed as she found the one and only Nathan Scott staring at her slightly amused from across the hall, leaning against the lockers where he'd obviously been waiting for her.

"Well, I've come to find out that sometimes talking to yourself is a much more appealing alternative than talking to _certain_ people." She retorted pointedly, rolling her eyes and attempting to walk past him.

But he wouldn't allow her to do so and he caught up with her quickly, stepping in front of her to prevent her departure.

"Nathan, what the hell do you want?" she snapped, thoroughly annoyed as her gaze lifted up to meet his. Ignoring the sudden and slight flutter in her stomach as his blue eyes connected with hers, she turned away.

"I want to know why the hell you're so pissed off at me." he stared at her hard, trying to figure out why she insisted on being so cold and distant with him. "What'd I do to you Sawyer?"

Ignoring his question, she rolled her eyes again, tightening her grip on her gym bag. "Just leave me alone okay?"

Whirling back around, she stomped in the direction of the exit, wanting to just get the hell out of there and not have to deal with him any more than she had to.

But he obviously wasn't getting the point, for he caught up with her again and this time he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him, his grip tightening around her hand. "No. Damn it, Sawyer, what's going on with you?" he demanded, having had enough of her curtness. Standing directly in front of her, he trapped her effectively between him and the lockers, preventing her from easily bolting again. "Why do you insist on ignoring me?" he pressed on, not fully understanding why the curly blonde seemed so angry at him. So he'd been a jackass to Lucas, so what? It's not like that was anything new.

"Why do you even care?" she challenged, crossing her arms in front of her and staring up at him coldly. "I told you. We're not friends. So, it shouldn't matter either way right?"

He shook his head, and he looked away momentarily, asking himself why he did, in fact care. Sure, the first time he'd approached her, it had only really been to get to Lucas, and well because she was pretty hot, but now…well.. "Shit, I don't know." he shrugged, looking back at her. "I thought we were. Or at least getting there…" he paused, and he ran his fingers through his short locks. "Look, if this is about Lucas, I'll leave him the hell alone if it makes you happy okay?"

"And who's blackmailing you now?"

"Huh?"

"Oh, y'know because if Nathan Scott does something, even _remotely_ fair or right, it's to get something back in return. So tell me, who is it?"

"That's ridiculous. Nobody's blackmailing me Peyton." He rolled his eyes, letting out a frustrated sound. "If I was to do it, I'd be doing it for _you._"

Looking back at him with narrowed eyes, she was almost surprised by the sudden and utter sincerity in which he said that. She felt something inside her shift, at the almost gentle way he was looking at her, but before she let herself wonder about that, the cold mask was back up again. "You're kidding right?" she scoffed, pushing him away. "Don't do me any favors."

Reaching out, he pulled her back towards him, pinning her against the lockers. "It's because I tried to kiss you isn't it?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. It is isn't it?" he questioned, watching as she fidgeted underneath his penetrating gaze. "That's why you're so mad at me, why you've been avoiding me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, c'mon Sawyer, don't feed me that b.s." he scoffed. "I know I was pretty fucked up out of my mind that night, but did you really think I wasn't going to remember something like that? I mean, seriously Sawyer, you don't think I try to kiss just anyone do you?"

"Apparently you do." She retorted pointedly, taking a jab at his current situation with Brooke.

"That was low."

"It's the truth, isn't it?"

"Maybe so, but then you also almost let me."

Snapping her head up to glare at him, she placed her hands on his chest and shoved him. "Now, you're _really_ imagining things, Scott."

"Am I? Because that's the way I remember it."

"You were drunk. Drunks remember things differently, that is when they actually recall what the hell they were doing."

"Yeah, I don't think so Sawyer." He smirked, placing both hands flat against the lockers behind her. His lips brushed the shell of her ear, as he leaned in and whispered. "I almost kissed you, and you almost let me."

Feeling a tingle make its way down her spine, she looked back at him, realizing just how close together they were standing. "So, why did you?" she questioned, her tone unusually soft. "Why did you want to kiss me?"

Looking down at her surprised, he found himself at a loss for the first time in a long time.

He couldn't ignore the way her hands had reached up and were playing with the collar of his shirt, or the way the scent of her shampoo floated over to him, infiltrating his senses. Or the cute way she was subconsciously flicking her tongue over her lips, anticipating his answer.

He also couldn't ignore the almost magnetic pull he'd felt with the sarcastic and brooding blonde since the beginning. Or the way it seemed to get stronger now, pulling him in.

Before he could really think about what was happening between them, or what he was doing, his head dipped down and his lips brushed against hers.

Startled, Peyton didn't even have time to process what was really happening. Acting on pure instinct, and letting all thoughts fly out the window, she gripped his shirt in her hands weakly as his hand reached out to touch her soft curls.

Just as she felt him about to deepen the kiss, someone cleared their throat loudly behind them and they broke apart, startled.

"Well, well, well. Just _what _do we have here?"


	20. Chapter 20

**Another update! I'm back! :)**

Crossing her arms over her chest, Rachel smiled smugly as she regarded the two people in front of her. Raising an eyebrow, she noticed that despite the abrupt interruption, neither had moved away from each other. The opposite in fact seemed to have happened, as Nathan's hand had reached down to intertwine with the curly blonde's and he was leaning his frame over her, almost protectively.

"You don't waste any time do you Natie boy?"

Rolling his eyes at the stupid nickname, he ignored her bait. "What do you want Rachel?"

"Maybe you should redirect that question to yourself Scott." She drawled, running her hand through her long auburn strands, the smirk never leaving her lips. "And substitute the what for the _who_."

Looking down at their intertwined hands, Peyton suddenly realized what had just truly happened between her and her best friend's sworn enemy. Disentangling herself quickly, she met Rachel's smug expression and avoided Nathan's puzzled one.

"Peyton…"

Pushing him away roughly, she looked up at him, her eyes stony cold. "Stay the hell away from me Nathan Scott."

Her tone was detached and although he was used to that curtness from her, it still stung him.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Rachel's tone was anything but apologetic. "Did I scare your new girl away? Y'know Nate, I really thought you had better taste. Seriously, way to step down there." She clicked her tongue,her tone dripping with disdain.

Grabbing her arm forcefully, he leaned towards her, his tone dangerously low. "You wanna talk about stepping down? Then let's talk about when I made the stupid mistake of messing around on Brooke with _you." _he spat, his eyes blazing angrily. "If I could take it back, I would in a heartbeat because you didn't even make it worth my while Gattina."

Wrenching herself away from his grasp, she glared at him, refusing to let him see how much that affected her. "Oh, hush Nate. Because I don't recall you complaining at the time, just the opposite in fact."

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You fucking wish. I've had better."

"Oh, like who? The emo bitch?" she snapped, her jaw clenching down angrily. "What's your deal with her anyways?"

She was trying hard to keep the annoyance out of her tone, but didn't succeed. Truth be told, she'd felt a small surge of jealousy watching the two of them, though she'd never admit it.

"Oh, baby, don't tell me you're jealous." He turned back around and gave her that infamous smirk that really should be considered illegal.

"Please, I'm _soo_ over you Scott." She returned, smiling at him wickedly. "I've got my eye on someone else actually."

"Oh, I'm sure you do." He didn't miss a beat, and his baby blues sparkled with amusement."Is it Tim?" he laughed. "Y'know, I think he's the only one on the team, you haven't _yet_ screwed."

"Actually, y'know your _brother's l_ooking really hot." She taunted.

"Whatever." he shrugged. "Feel free to screw the bastard for all I care."

"Right. Why would you care when you're screwing his leftovers anyways right?" she shot back smoothly. "I must admit, I'm impressed Nate. I never saw that one coming. But then again, you really know how to play them don't you?"

"Who says I'm playing her?"

"Oh, how sweet." She deadpanned. "Don't tell me you actually like her?"

"That's none of your business."

"Oh? And what about Brooke? You think it's _her_ business?" she paused, smiling in satisfaction as she saw him hesitate. "But you know now that I think about it, I think Brookie dearest probably wouldn't even care that much. She's probably forgetting all about you right now. After all y'know what they say, there're nothing better than getting over somebody than getting under someone else."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, Natie." She chuckled. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed that our favorite teen Dad has been missing in action as well . A little convenient don't you think? Especially since I saw him myself this morning."

"So?" he glared at her, not liking one bit what she was insinuating.

"I'm just saying. You're not the only one who's noticed how hopelessly in love with her he is, y'know." she laughed, patting him on the chest as she walked by. "The nice guy always gets the girl in the end, remember that Scott."

* * *

As she lay tangled under Lucas's embrace, Haley couldn't even remember why they'd decided to come back to his house. Something about a book that she hadn't yet read and he'd promised her was a must read.

But somewhere in the middle of him searching for the book, they'd begun kissing and now they lay a pair of tangled limbs on his bed.

Shifting slightly, she ran her hands through the smoothness of his bare back, feeling his muscles tighten underneath her fingertips.

Leaning all his weight over her petite frame, Lucas slipped his hand underneath the bottom of her shirt, running his hand over her stomach as his mouth explored hers hungrily.

She responded to his heated kiss eagerly, wrapping her arms around his neck as she brought him down closer, to further deepen the kiss.

She felt like she couldn't even breathe.

This boy was going to get her in trouble, she was sure. Because this wasn't her. This wasn't who she was. Heavy make-out sessions, eager hands, no Haley James wasn't one to lose herself in a boy.

But with Lucas it was different.

Because he made her feel different, he made her feel things she had never felt before.

With Lucas it was all lust and passion, but gentleness and sweetness and this feeling of comfort that she couldn't explain. Like she knew he would protect her, be there for her always.

And it was the most beautiful, yet scary thing she had ever felt.

They were so caught up in each other that they didn't even hear the outside door of his room open and slam.

"Oh, god. I'm sorry."

Breaking apart startled at the sudden intrusion, Haley turned away, burying her head in Lucas's chest in embarrassment.

Sighing in annoyance, Lucas stared at his best friend, who was visibly uncomfortable with the sight before her.

"Don't you ever knock Peyt?"

"I never had to." She returned pointedly once she got over the initial shock. She turned around to face the door to block out the sight of the two of them. She'd obviously interrupted a heavy-make out session, by the looks of it…and by Lucas's discarded shirt, somewhere by the bed.

Letting out a breath, she reached for the doorknob. "I'll see you guys later."

"No wait, Peyton don't go." Haley called out, ignoring the look Lucas was giving her. Straightening up quickly, she adjusted her clothes and attempted to smile, though she'd never felt so embarrassed. "I've uh…I've got to go actually."

Lucas tried to protest but she shook her head at him. "There's somewhere I have to be."

"Can't you stay a couple more minutes?"

"I wish I could." She smiled regretfully and she really wished she could. He looked so endearing, pouting adorably, shirtless, with his hair disheveled. It could've been so easy, to just forget about her tutoring session with Felix and stay with Lucas. But she was a dedicated tutor, and as much as she disliked the guy, she wouldn't leave him hanging.

"Okay, will you at least call me when you get home?"

"I promise." Leaning in towards him, she kissed him goodbye, but he began to deepen it slightly, tangling his hands in her hair, both of them seemingly forgetting the presence of the curly blonde momentarily.

"Uh, still here!" Peyton rolled her eyes in disgust, but she couldn't help but smile at the two of them. It was so obvious those two were absolutely crazy about each other and she felt nothing but happy that her best friend had finally gotten the girl he'd adored from afar for so long.

"Right. Sorry." Haley smiled apologetically at her, her cheeks reddening slightly. Gathering her things, she waved at both of them and slipped out the front door.

"Thanks a lot Peyt." Lucas threw at her sarcastically as he sighed and flopped back on his bed. "You have perfect timing, y'know that?"

"Oh, get over it horn-dog." She smirked at him, knowing he wasn't really mad. Sitting down next to him, she nudged him. "Next time_, you_ should lock your door. I mean seriously Dude, you think I wanna walk in on that again?" she shuddered.

"Walk in on what? A perfectly romantic moment with the girl of my dreams?"

"Romantic?" she scoffed. "Please, the way you two were going at it? Just be thankful it was me and not your mom." She laughed at the horrified look on his face. "Can you imagine? You sooo would've gotten _the talk_."

"Not funny." He complained. "And…it wasn't even like that.."

Raising an eyebrow, she picked up his shirt and tossed it at him. "Uh-huh, sure didn't look like it buddy. Y'know, I don't think we should leave you two alone anymore." She teased, getting a full kick over his discomfort. "I don't know how Karen would feel about being a Grandma in her 30's."

"You're hilarious y'know that? A true Comedian." He shifted uncomfortably on his bed. "Anyways could we not? Seriously this is…ew sex talk of any implications with you is weird." He pulled his shirt over his head and gave her a lopsided grin. "What's going on with you anyway? What'd you do after practice?"

Freezing momentarily, she avoided his gaze as a sudden wave of guilt came over her. She silently debated if she should tell Lucas that she had…_kissed _his half-brother, his very own sworn enemy. Thinking back, she didn't know what had possessed her to do such a thing. Was she insane? She knew of the implications that one single act could bring. It would wreak havoc into her entire life, completely throw off everything she had ever known.

And she was sure that Lucas wouldn't understand. And truthfully even she wasn't sure she completely understood what was going on between her and Nathan.

But she couldn't tell Lucas. No way. He'd be beyond angry. Because it was one thing to talk to or sorta hang out with the guy…but to be kissing him? That was completely crossing the boundaries. And her loyalties lay with Lucas. Always.

And it shouldn't be too hard to stay away anyways. It's not like she had any feelings for Nathan. It was just a….weird attraction. That was all.

She just had to keep reminding herself of that.

"Peyton?"

In that one split second, she made the conscious decision not to tell him anything. What good would it really do? She reasoned, it was not likely to happen again. She would make sure of that.

"Um…y'know I looked for you." she turned to look at him, pushing the curls out of her eyes. "Like I always do after each game practice and you left."

Looking down sheepishly, he tried to explain. "I'm sorry Peyt. I didn't mean to leave without you..it's just…well I ran into Haley and she-"

"Don't apologize Luke, it's no big deal." She cut him off, giving him an assuring smile. "I get it okay? And I'm ecstatic that you finally got the girl of your dreams but…" she paused, shrugging her shoulders. "I'd be lying if I said that I didn't feel just a bit jealous that you're…well, it's just always been just you and me y'know?"

He let out a long sigh and he gave her his adorable half-smile. "I know, but you know you're my number one right?" he put his arms around her shoulders, hugging her. "Nothing's ever going to change the fact that you're always going to be my best friend and I love you."

She smiled, leaning into his embrace. "I know. And you know that I would _never_ do anything that would upset you or make you mad or risk our friendship in any way right?" looking up into his soulful blue eyes, she took a deep breath, pushing the memory of another pair of intense blue eyes out of her mind. "Your friendship means the world to me Lucas. Don't ever forget that."

* * *

"Did you finish reading it?" Haley opened up her own book of Great Expectations and pulled out a couple of sheets of paper from her binder.

"Yeah." Felix shrugged in response. "It was all right."

"All right?"

"Well, yeah I mean it has it's good parts. And y'know I kind of understood it and I was even surprised that I maybe sorta liked it."

"Okay, well let's see your notes."

"Okay, so this Pip Dude needs to get a clue." She read aloud from the piece of paper he hander her. Her brows furrowed cutely as her eyes scanned over his scribbles. "This Estella chick is obviously not interested and is playing hot and cold and that's not cool man. Dude, there are plenty of hot rich chicks in the-" stopping abruptly, she shot the tanned boy and exasperated look, though a smile tugged on her lips. "Felix! What's this?"

Grinning at the adorable way she was waving the paper in front of him, he shrugged. "You asked me to write down my perception." He stated simply.

"You're right I did. But this is not what…" puffing out a breath, she shook her head. "Well, it's um…a very _unique_ way of interpreting the book. But you can't turn this in as your report Felix. And besides, I think you're missing the point of the story."

"What?" he scoffed. "I think I got it pretty down good if you ask me. This moron is like stupidly obsessed over this girl that doesn't even give him the time of the day. Move on. I mean, the rich and the poor don't mix well together anyway so he should just give up. And seriously, what kind of name is Pip anyways?"

She was unable to keep the giggle from escaping her lips and he glared at her playfully. "Go ahead, laugh at me. What kind of tutor are you anyway?" he teased, tucking his own version of the book into his backpack.

Getting over the amusement, she quickly tore out a couple more sheets from her notebook. "Okay, so everything really that you need to know is written right here. I made these notes for you, but I encourage you to actually _read _the entire book so you could get a better understanding."

"I think I'll just rent the movie. I mean the lead actress is bound to be hot right?"

"The book and the movie are never the same, Felix." She reprimanded him. "If you read the book, and go over my notes the night before, you should be able to ace that test."

"I sure hope so. My parents are not too happy with my grades right now, and one more failed test…." Tucking the sheets of paper into his folder, he smiled over at her. "You don't know how much I appreciate you helping me Haley."

"Actually I _do _know. Seeing as how you haven't stopped thanking me after each session." She joked lightly, giving him a smile. "I do what I can Felix, but the rest, really it's all up to you." she straightened out her materials, standing up as she did so. "Just have faith in yourself okay? You'll do great on this test, I know it."

He nodded, gathering his stuff, their session now over. "Thanks Haley, but honestly I couldn't do it without you. You're amazing." he winked at her, laying the flattery on thick. "How could I ever thank you?"

"Hmm, some money would be nice." She teased good-naturedly.

He laughed, walking alongside her as they made their way out of the city's public library. "How about a nice dinner Friday night?" he suggested. "It's the least I could do."

"Um…no." pausing slightly, she frowned. "We went over that already Felix okay? And besides…I've already got plans on Friday."

Not missing the dreamy smile that flashed across her face, he shrugged. "Oh, okay. Well maybe next time."

* * *

"You need to step it up Gattina. I'm serious. I'm sick of this shit."

"Well, hello to you too Felix." Rachel commented sarcastically as she picked up her phone.

"No time for fucking pleasantries okay?" he snapped, his voice sounding anything but pleased on the other end. "They're going on a date, on a fucking _date _this Friday and you need to do something about that."

"Aw, but did you see how absolutely _adorable_ the little lovebirds looked today?" she drawled. "I'd really hate to get in the way of true love."

"Shut up." he growled. "I've kept up my end of the deal, I helped you break up Nathan and Brooke and now _you_ owe _me_. I don't care what you have to do, just make sure their little _date _doesn't happen."

* * *

"So when do I get to meet her?"

Snapping his head up, Lucas stared at his mom quizzically. "Meet who?"

"Oh, y'know just the girl that's obviously got you head over heels." She smiled, coming to stand besides her son. "The one that's got you staring off into space with starry eyes and a goofy smile on your face." At his surprised look, she laughed. "You're my son Lucas, you don't think I recognize the signs my boy? So what's her name?"

He ducked his head and chuckled. "You know me too well Ma. Her name is-"

"Haley James." Peyton cut in from behind them. "Who one day shall be Haley James _Scott_. And she is just _the_ most beautiful girl to ever grace this planet, with a heart of gold and the most amazing smile."

At Karen's questioning glance, the curly blonde shrugged and pointed to Lucas. "_His_ words, not mine."

He pretended to glower but they just laughed at him."Okay okay, so I'm crazy about this girl, sue me." he shrugged, his lips tilting up into a wide smile. "But if you met her…you'd understand why." He directed to his mom. "She's just…there's no words to describe how amazing she truly is or how she makes me feel…" he paused, smiling sheepishly. "What can I say? I've got it bad."

"Oh, to be young and in love again." Karen laughed, giving her son a quick hug. "I'm happy for you honey. And if this girl is half as amazing as you say she is, then I hope you treat her right. Oh, and don't keep her all to yourself okay?" she teased. "Bring her by sometime. I'd love to meet her."

"Of course."

"So what do you have planned for this Friday Romeo?" Peyton wanted to know once Karen left to the back. Plopping down on one of the stools that lined the counter, she picked up an apple and bit into it.

"I don't know just yet." He admitted, leaning against the counter. "But it's got to be something that she'll remember forever."

"You haven't thought it through yet?" she raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I would've thought you had the whole moonlit dinner by the beach all planned out the minute she said yes. Personally, I think it's a bit overrated but classic old-fashioned romance is so your style. Surrounded by the ocean, the moon and the stars…with you reciting Steinbeck or whoever you're into this month."

"I don't _recite_ Steinbeck. And you know a moonlit dinner is not a bad idea, but I want to do something else. I want to surprise her and make it a night she'll never forget."

"Well, the list of things to do in Tree Hill is very short so I guess if you _really_ want to surprise her, can I suggest Linden's?" she suggested, her lips twitching. "I hear Fridays are strip poker night."

"Yeah, that's real funny Peyt." He shook his head, pushing away from the counter. "Tease me all you want, but I remember a certain time last summer when it was _you_ like this."

Looking up surprised, she couldn't even believe he had the nerve to bring that up. Clearing her throat, her eyes darkened slightly. "Trust me Luke that was different."

Crossing his arms, he raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Well, for once I was never as um…_whipped _as you seem to be right now." Ignoring the glare he threw her way, she continued. "It was just a summer fling. Fleeting and momentary."

"But the feelings were there right?" he pressed on. "The real, honest emotions? The deep connection? That breathless, giddy, fluttery feeling in the pit of your stomach? You felt it. That magnetic pull that draws you in for reasons that you may not understand. That's real Peyton. Summer fling or not."

Looking down briefly, she shook her head as her head swam in sudden memories of last summer. She would never let on the impact that her brief relationship with Julian Baker had left on her life. She had fallen in love, deeply and for the first time. And she had given herself to him completely, only to have her heart shattered into a million pieces when he just left her behind, without a backwards glance.

Looking up, she was about to respond when she heard Lucas let out a sound of surprise. Swiveling around in her seat, she looked towards where his gaze was directed to the front door.

"Huh. I've never seen _her_ here before." Peyton narrowed her eyes as she saw Rachel make her way towards them. "I wonder what she's doing here…."

"Um, seeing as how it _is_ a café…my guess is she's hungry?"

"Yeah, she's hungry all right." Peyton commented, watching as Rachel's gaze was trained on her best friend, her lips set in a flirty grin. "But I don't think it's the food she wants."

Before Lucas could ask her what she meant by that, Rachel strolled up to the counter. "Well, hey there gorgeous." She directed at Lucas, ignoring Peyton. "I heard a rumor that you worked here, so I thought I'd stop by and uh check out the menu."

"Uh, hey Rachel." He greeted back, shooting Peyton a look. "I don't work here, but it's my mom's café." Clearing his throat, he smiled politely. "Um, what can I get you? I can show you the menu if you'd like."

"That's not necessary hot-stuff." she winked at him."I already know what I want." Leaning in towards Lucas, her hand reached out to play with the collar of his shirt. "And I was hoping _you'd_ be the special for the day." She flirted, running her tongue over her bottom lip sensually. "So what do you say handsome?"

Scoffing, Peyton turned towards her. "I'd say, he's not interested so back off. Oh, and read the fine print Rachel." She pointed to the small sign by the register. "They accept cash, check and all major credit cards, but _not_ Skank."

Ducking his head, Lucas coughed to hide his laughter and Rachel's eyes narrowed as she stared at the curly blonde next to her with obvious disdain.

"Oh, hey Peyton." She tilted her head and smiled at her in a fake sweet way. "I didn't even see you there. Y'know it's so hard to recognize you these days without a certain Scott brother attached to you at the hip….or should I say lips?"

Straightening her back, Peyton was grateful that Lucas didn't seem to catch that last bit as he was busy getting the redhead a drink. "Screw you okay?" she hissed, her arm reaching out to grasp the redhead's arm firmly. "You don't know what you're talking about."

Shaking away from her grasp, Rachel glowered. "Oh I don't? You know, I wonder how your dearest best friend will feel once he finds out that you're sneaking around with his _brother_."

"I'm not sneaking around with him okay bitch?" Peyton snapped. "And if I was you I'd leave right about now. I mean, what the hell are you trying to pull?"

Crossing her arms over her chest smugly, Rachel grinned at her. "Nathan's way out of your league sweetheart, the sooner you realize that the better. And as for Lucas? Well, he's pretty hot if I say so myself and what you've yet come to realize is that I get what I want. Always."

"Why him now?" Peyton hissed back in response. "Leave him alone okay? Lucas is too much of a nice guy to fall for a slut like you. Give it up. Or, is one Scott brother not enough for you?"

"I should be asking you that myself." Rachel returned, an amused smile playing across her lips. Before Peyton could respond, Lucas came back with a drink in hand and Rachel smiled at him prettily.

Pulling out a twenty she handed it to him and winked at him. "Thanks hot-stuff and keep the change." Leaning in quickly, she brushed a swift kiss on his lips. "Oh, and uh maybe something more. See you around gorgeous."

Staring dumbfounded at the redhead, Lucas muttered. "Uh, okay…see you around." turning back to his best friend, he narrowed his eyes puzzled. "That was…weird."

Sighing, she watched the redhead strut across the street and shook her head. "Oh, I think things around here are about to get even weirder."

**A/N's Okay, so I know that was pretty short but I hope you guys liked it anyway. And no Brooke or Jake in this chapter but plenty of Rachel, lol hope you guys don't hate me too much. Anyways to make up for it, the next chapter will be mostly Brooke centric. **


	21. Chapter 21

"Haley? What are you doing here?" Jake's eyebrows furrowed together as he stared at the blonde standing rather nervously in the front of his steps. He looked furtively over his shoulder, something that Haley didn't miss.

"Is that any way to treat your oldest and best friend Jagielski?" she gave him a wry smile then looked away. "I…look I know Brooke's here and I-I need to talk to her."

Letting out a breath, he stepped out the door and closed it behind him softly. "She needs time Hales."

"I think she's had more than enough time Jake. She can't avoid me forever."

"I know but-"

The front door opened again suddenly and Brooke's frame appeared through. "Jake, what's taking you…" trailing off as she spotted Haley, the smile on her face died off quickly and in its place a cold firm mask fell over her face. "Oh. I see you've got company. Well, I'll leave you to it."

"Brooke wait." Haley sighed, stopping the brunette before she ran back in. "I came here to talk to _you."_

Squaring her shoulders, Brooke frowned as she turned back around and gave her a cold unfriendly smile. "Well, I believe there's_ nothing_ I have to talk to you about."

Looking furtively between the two girls, Jake quickly excused himself despite Brooke's protests.

"That's where you're wrong Brooke." Haley began. "Because I think there's plenty that's left to say between us."

Realizing that Jake was really going to leave her to deal with this, Brooke leaned against the door frame, her stance cold and guarded. "Well, I disagree _former _best friend."

Flinching at her cold tone, Haley took a deep breath and she took a step towards her. "Brooke, please don't be like that. Can you please just let me explain?"

"There's nothing to explain Haley!" Brooke snapped in return, crossing her arms in front of her fiercely. "You betrayed me and that's all there is to it. Now, if you'll excuse me-"

"Brooke, I didn't know he slept with Rachel okay?" Haley blurted out, grabbing the pretty brunette by the arm before she could make her escape. "I knew they kissed, but Nathan convinced me that Rachel was the one who kissed him, and that it meant nothing. You have to believe me, I was just as shocked as you were about the other bit of news."

Hesitating slightly, Brooke regarded the girl she'd known all her life. "I-I don't know what to believe anymore Haley."

"Believe me, _please."_ Haley begged, letting go of her grasp on her. "Look, that night that you and Nathan broke up, the night we went to the bar? I received a picture message of Nathan and Rachel together okay? And I confronted him about it the next day and he swore that it was a stupid and fleeting thing that should've never have happened. And I believed him, so I let I slide, and I didn't tell you anything about it, because honestly I didn't think that it mattered."

Not knowing what to think, Brooke sat on the steps of the Jagielski's' home and looked straight ahead of her. "You still should've told me Haley."

Sitting down next to her tentaviley, Haley let out a deep breath and nodded. "You're right. I should've and I didn't. I know that now Brooke, but you have to know that the only reason I kept that from you was to protect you_, not_ hurt you."

"I can accept that Haley." Brooke started, letting out a huge breath. "But what I can't accept is the fact that you covered up for Nathan to help someone else,_ not_ protect me."

Shocked silent, Haley couldn't even muster up the words to defend herself so Brooke continued. "I'm your _best_ friend Haley, so you should've told me what was going on with Nathan, whether he deemed it a mistake or not. But you didn't. Instead, you used that as leverage to get Nathan to back off Lucas. Which I don't even understand. I mean when did you and the bastard son become friends?"

"We're not friends Brooke." Haley admitted, taking a huge breath. "Me and him...we're uh-"

"It doesn't even matter." Brooke cut her off, standing up as she did so. "I can forgive you for not telling me about Nathan and Rachel kissing, but I can't forget that you disregarded my feelings in favor of protecting someone else's."

Feeling the tears welling up behind her eyes, Haley stood up as well. "Brooke…I'm sorry…"

Giving her a sad smile, Brooke nodded. "I am too. I uh….I'll see you around Haley."

Watching her best friend walk back into the Jagielski home, Haley sat down on the steps and placed her head in her hands, the tears not giving way as they spilled out of her eyes rapidly. Damn it, what had she done?

* * *

For the second time that week, Nathan dragged out of his last class before lunch and decided to skip all together. Again, he wasn't in the mood and frankly, he just wanted to be alone.

As he was walking down the quad, he spotted a familiar curly set of hair ahead of him and he stopped.

Peyton was sitting smack in the middle of the quad, lonesome and she had a sketch pad in front of her, the tray of food next to her completely untouched.

The sun was glistening brightly and it fell directly behind her silhouette, making her blonde curls appear even more golden and he had to take a sudden deep breath at the beautiful sight before him.

Because she looked like an angel.

He was suddenly confused by the rush of emotions sweeping over him and he felt his heart actually flutter in his chest and he frowned.

Because that had never happened to him before and he wasn't that type of guy.

Pushing that aside, he started to make his way over to her. The sarcastic blonde had avoided him like the plague today, and he was intent on finding out why. Halfway there he stopped again, the frown on his lips only turning more downwards as he watched Lucas and Haley beat him to the punch and set their lunch trays across from Peyton's.

Great, his two favorite people in the entire world.

There was no way he'd be able to talk to Peyton now. And anyways what would he say? They'd kissed and he realized that he couldn't even begin to explain to her, much less to himself why in fact he'd done that.

He was about to turn and head towards the parking lot to his car when another sight stopped him, dead in his tracks.

Up ahead of him, Brooke and Jake were sitting very closely and talking softly to each other.

Now, Nathan was a lot of things.

An arrogant, cocky, smug son of a bitch…a jackass if you would…

But he sure as hell wasn't insecure.

But something about the way Brooke and Jake were sitting together and the way Brooke was smiling at Jake, made something inside of him shift.

Clenching his fists at his side, he hated the feeling that spread across his chest as he watched them.

_You're not the only one who's noticed how hopelessly in love with her he is, y'know._

Narrowing his eyes, he watched them intently as Rachel's words resonated in his head like some sort of taunt.

Sure he knew Jagielski had deep feelings for Brooke, he'd known that for a very long time. After all, they had grown up together and despite them drifting apart, they still knew each other pretty damn well. However, that knowledge had never left him feeling like _this_.

Feeling the jealousy pool in the bottom of his stomach, he watched as his childhood best friend's arm wrapped around Brooke's shoulder like some sort of comforting gesture. He felt his blood boil like nothing he ever thought possible and he snapped.

Because Jake was comforting_ his_ girl, touching _his_ girl and there was no way in hell he was going to just sit back and watch it happen.

* * *

"Uh-Oh."

"What?"

"The shit's about to hit the fan." Haley replied once she'd spotted Jake and Brooke sitting together ahead of them, maybe too close for comfort.

Both Lucas and Peyton turned in the direction that she was staring and watched as Nathan stalked over towards Brooke and Jake, visibly angry.

"I was afraid of this." Haley sighed, feeling a sudden uneasy feeling creep over her as she watched Nathan slam his hand down on the table Brooke and Jake were sitting at. "Well, it's been a long time coming that's for sure."

* * *

"Well, well what do we have here?"

Both Brooke and Jake jumped apart startled as Nathan stared at them, his eyes dark with anger.

"Well, if it isn't my cheatin, lying ass _ex_-boyfriend." Brooke snapped, ignoring the wild pounding of her heart at his presence. "What the hell do you want Nathan?"

Laughing hollowly, Nathan pushed away the two trays of food sitting on the table in anger, sending them crashing into the ground. "What do _I_ want? What the hell do _you_ want Brooke? I mean, it's like what, 3 days since you break up with me and already you're with _him?_ What the fuck?"

"_Excuse_ me?" Brooke stood up quickly, her eyes blazing angrily. "But who the hell do you think you are?" she yelled furiously, shoving her hands against his chest. She didn't care that everyone on the quad was staring at them. She was beyond angry. "_You_ cheat on _me_, and you think you have any right to come over here and question me on who I'm with?"

"So, that's it then?" Nathan shouted, looking between the two of the angrily. "What the fuck man?" he directed towards Jake. "Did you really think you could just pick up where I left off? Fuck you Jagielski. You've got another thing coming if you think I'm going to stand by and watch you move in on _my _girl."

"I'm not moving in on your girl Nate." Jake stated calmly, standing up to his full lenght. "But I'm not going to stand by and watch you walk all over Brooke either. She's not your girl anymore. You pretty much made sure of that the moment you decided to cheat on her with Rachel."

"Screw you Jagielksi." he spat, taking a menacing step towards him. "You don't know the first thing about it, so don't give me your holier than thou attitude okay? And I bet you were just waiting in the wings weren't you?"squaring his shoulders off angrily, the captain of the Ravens pushed the teenage father back roughly. "You were so ready to just pick up the pieces weren't you? Admit it. You've been waiting for this to happen for a very long time." his eyes narrowing dangerously, he balled his fists tightly, wanting nothing more than to deck his childhood best friend across the face. "Screw all the years of friendship man. I'm warning you, if you even so much as _attempt_ to make a move on Brooke, you won't live to regret it."

Before Jake even had a chance to respond, some of the other guys on the basketball team rushed in ahead of them, separating them quickly before it fully came to a head.

Between all the commotion, Nathan took this opportunity to turn to Brooke and grab her by the arms fiercely. "Brooke, we need to talk okay?" he hissed out deseperately.

Shaking him off, she tried to walk away but he wouldn't let her, having had enough. "You're going to have to talk to me some time Davis. You've been avoiding me and I'm sick of it. I've given you enough time now."

"I don't have to talk to you!" she yelled back, trying her hardest to shake herself off from his grasp. But to no avail. "I don't want to talk to you damn it! I don't even want to _see_ you!"

"Fine. But you leave me no choice."

He didn't even give her a chance to protest. He picked her up swiftly, fireman style and swung her over his shoulders.

Her screams and protests fell on dead ears as he was intent on getting them out of there. Jake tried to help her out but both Tim and Tyler held him back, letting him know that this was between Nathan and Brooke and he needed to back off.

Dumping a livid and screaming Brooke into the front seat of his car, Nathan gritted his teeth as she continued to scream and hit him. Buckling her in swiftly, he ignored her as he put the car in reverse and peeled out of there.

**So I know it was a pretty short chapter, but hope you guys enjoy it anyways. Next chapter, there's PLENTY of more Brathan I promise. For all you fans ;) **


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N So honestly I'm not too happy with this next chapter, but I've been gone for so long, that I figured that I had to come up with **_**something.**_** Either way, reviews would be lovely because I cannot stress how much those mean to me. **

"Is she going to be okay?"

Turning her attention away from the scene that had just enfolded, Haley couldn't keep the warm smile from lighting up her face as she took in Lucas's concerned expression. Her heart fluttered with affection as she realized that the brooding blonde was actually _concerned_ about her best friend, someone who he basically didn't know at all.

It shouldn't surprise her really. Because that was the kind of guy Lucas Scott was. And she realized it was one of the things she found most endearing about him. His big, kind heart.

"Nathan would never lay a hand on her." she assured him, knowing that thought was the one running through his sensitive mind. "I'd be more worried about him actually." She let out a small laugh, knowing her best friend was not going easy on Nathan at all.

"Yeah, that was quite a stunt he pulled there."

"Brooke's probably giving him hell for it." she continued, but in the next instance her voice dropped several tones. "Being _forced_ to talk to him and just be near him is going to emotionally drain her. Although, I don't think he can do any more damage than what he's already done."

Slipping his hand around her shoulders, Lucas gently hugged her in reassurance, knowing she was concerned on how all of this was affecting her best friend.

She leaned against him gratefully, turning her head to land a soft kiss on his cheek.

His heart fluttered at the simplest of contacts, and he smiled, pulling her in closer, intertwining their hands together as he did so.

Turning towards Peyton, he noticed that she was extremely quiet. She was staring down at her sketchbook, a frown marring her pretty features as her pen tapped against the paper listlessly.

"Hey Peyt what's wrong?"

Snapping her head up she looked in surprise at the blonde couple staring at her in question. "Uh, nothing. Nothing at all." She shot them a weak smile. "I'm actually..not that hungry anymore, I feel a little sick to my stomach actually…" her green orbs avoiding their gaze, particularly Lucas's she gathered her stuff up quickly. "I'll um..see you guys at practice."

Watching her quick and abrupt departure, Lucas felt that same unsettling feeling he'd had when it came to Peyton lately. He knew something was wrong, something was off…but still he couldn't put his finger on it.

Haley also felt that same unsettling feeling. But unlike Lucas, she had a pretty strong instinct on what exactly it was.

Watching the curly blonde make her departure, she let out a long sigh as she realized that the whole Brooke and Nathan drama didn't just involve the two of them anymore.

No, things were beginning to get really complicated and were only bound to turn into a huge, tangled mess.

And she was the only one who could see it coming.

And somebody was bound to get hurt in all of this.

Brooke… Nathan…Jake…Peyton…

Shaking her thoughts away, she curled against Lucas and smiled contentedly to herself as she felt his arm wrap around her.

At least one thing was for certain.

Her and Lucas were a different story.

She was sure of that.

They were starting something beautiful, something _unique_.

And nothing could get in between that.

* * *

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Where the hell do you get off Nathan Scott?" Brooke screamed, thumping her hands angrily against the passenger dashboard. "Let me out right now! Let me out right now or I'll call the cops!"

Cringing against her blows, he desperately tried to block them as he kept his gaze trained at the road ahead of them.

"Oh yeah? And what are they going to do?"

Her mouth dropped open in disbelief, and her arms flailed around him, her fists connecting with his arms and shoulders. "What are they going to do? You're _kidnapping _me you jackass!"

"I'm not kidnapping you Brooke, and stop hitting me!"

"I'll stop hitting you when you let me out you lying, cheating son of a bitch!"

"I'm not going to let you out okay? I told you, I've had enough of this! We need to talk."

"Well, I believe I've told you that I don't want to talk to you! Time and time again. We're done! Why can't you get that through your fucking head?"

"And why can't _you_ get through your head that we're not? Not until we talk? Damn it Brooke, you have to give me a chance here!"

Whipping her head around to face him, Brooke let out a sound that sounded between a laugh and a sneer.

"You're kidding me right? _I_ have to give _you_ a chance? Are you outta your mind? Seriously? How dare you even ask me that?"

Gritting his teeth together, Nathan tried to keep his eyes focused on the road ahead of them. "I fucked up okay? I _know _that. But I love you! And I'm sorry! Doesn't that mean _anything _to you?"

Biting her lip to keep the tears from overflowing her eyes, she looked away. "You cheated on me. With the person I hate the most. Did _that_ mean anything to you at the time?"

When he didn't respond, she slumped down on her seat, allowing the tears to flow freely down her cheek.

"Yeah, I didn't think so."

* * *

"Haley!" Jogging breathlessly towards the pretty blonde, Felix stopped as he reached her locker. "Hey."

Grabbing the necessary books, Haley shut her locker as she turned towards the spiky-haired boy. "What do you want?"

"Ouch." He laughed, clutching his chest playfully. "Cold much? Listen, I'm heading towards my Lit class and I was just wondering if you had any last minute advice?"

"Oh, you're taking your test right now? Listen, despite your uh_, interesting_ report, I think we went over the whole book yesterday so I think you'll do okay. Besides, you've got me as your tutor. You should ace that test with no problem. I mean, if I do say so myself I've worked miracles on even the most impossible cases."

He raised an eyebrow as a smile lit up his handsome face. "Arrogant much?"

She rolled her eyes and she shoved him slightly. "Uh hello? I was just kidding."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." he chuckled. "Seeing as though, I'm slightly _challenged_ and all…"

She couldn't help but laugh as she remembered their first tutoring session.

"Shut up okay?" she smiled, as they made their way down the crowded hall. "I was just teasing you that time. You're _not_ stupid Felix, I mean sure you do some pretty idiotic things but…" pausing at the look on his face, she shook her head and sent him a reassuring smile as they reached his destination. "Good luck on your test. Just remember everything we went over and you'll be okay."

In a move that surprised them both, he reached down and pecked her cheek quickly. "I'll be fine. Thanks for everything Haley."

"Yeah..uh, no problem."

He was about to go into his class, when he looked up and he noticed a certain blonde haired basketball player staring at them from across the hall.

Grinning, he reached down and quickly hugged Haley.

She didn't seem to resist and he smiled down at her before he walked into his classroom.

Oh, this was going to be easier than he thought.

* * *

"Are you trying to suck or does it just come naturally?" Tim taunted Lucas as he jogged past him at that afternoon's semi-practice.

Semi because not only were they missing their star basketball player, but because their coach had yet to appear.

"Back off _Dim."_ Rachel drawled as she walked over to the two of them. "If anyone sucks on this court, it's _you._ And besides, Nathan's not here darling, so you don't get any brownie points for being a dick to Lucas."

"Yeah, nice Rachel. You trying to slum or something?"

Ignoring him, she turned towards Lucas. "So, what's up gorgeous? And not that I'm agreeing with Tim here, but where's your A-game today?"

"Nothing's wrong okay?" he looked up and he found Haley's heated gaze trained on him..and Rachel, who was standing extremely close to him.

But he ignored it, because all he could think about was what he'd witnessed earlier out in the hall.

Sighing deeply, he gripped the ball in his hands and ran across the court, working away his thoughts the only way he knew how.

* * *

Sitting on the second to last bleacher, Peyton stared ahead of her at the scarce gym, watching the rest of the cheerleaders and most of the guys on the team milling around after an almost non-existent practice.

She's trying very hard not to mull over her thoughts, but the reminder that not only the star player, but the cheer captain are _both_ missing… together…

Well it's not making it any easier on her already troubled thoughts.

She wished she knew why the showdown at lunch time today bothered her so much. Actually, that's not true. She already kinda knew why it did, she just wished it would go away, not eat at her like the way it was doing right now.

When the hell did things get so complicated in her life anyways?

When the hell did Nathan Scott even begin to matter to her?

She wished she knew why he plagued her thoughts constantly. He _shouldn't…_

But he did.

Letting out a deep sigh, she propped her chin on her hand as she thought back to the last couple of weeks.

She _supposed_ that given the circumstances and her history with Lucas, she shouldn't be thinking so much of the dreaded, _evil_ half-brother as much as she did.

She _supposed_ she shouldn't be so comfortable with him, that it shouldn't be so easy and so…_tempting_ to be around him. It should be really hard actually. Impossible even.

But it's not.

"You look like you could really use a friend."

Snapping out of her thoughts abruptly, Peyton managed a smile as she looked up at Jake.

"More like a psychiatrist really."

Taking the spot next to her, he shot her a warm smile. "Want to talk about it?"

Biting her lip, Peyton looked away and was quiet for what seemed like forever. Weighing her options, she didn't really know who else she could talk to about this. Lucas was out obviously and so was Haley and she didn't really have any one else to talk to…

Maybe it was out of the overwhelming emotion wanting to set free inside of her…or maybe it was out of relief of finally accepting what was there but she couldn't stop the next words from tumbling out of her lips.

"I think I like him." She blurted out, her eyes widening with surprise as this was the first time she'd actually admitted it out loud. Oh, well. Looks like there was no going back. Once she said the words out loud, it actually made them _real._

"Who?"

It seemed like forever, before she actually answered.

"Nathan."

His eyes widened, filled with confusion and she had to give him credit for that. "W-what? Whoa. Are you…you two…"

"No. We're not." she was quick to respond, wanting to bang her head against the wall as she realized that she'd just said something that she could never take back.

"Then..what, I mean-"

"We kissed okay?" she exclaimed, closing her eyes in anguish. "We kissed and…it meant nothing. It was nothing and…God, just forget I ever said anything okay?" Grabbing her stuff quickly, she tried to make her break but he stopped her.

"It's not nothing if it leaves you this affected." He pointed out sensibly.

Faltering slightly, she dropped her stuff as she stared at him. "It didn't hit me till today. How much he loves her. I've seen them kiss before but….I guess I never realized…"

Watching the different emotions play across her face, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder in a friendy and comforting gesture.

"Looks like we're in the same situation. You and me."

"I'm not in love with him."

"Pretty close don't you think?"

Staring straight ahead of her, Peyton was unable to provide an answer for the first time in her life.

**So, pretty short chapter I know. And not exactly what I wanted it to be..but the next couple of chapters will be better I promise. Also as a small spoiler, the next 3 chapters will be pretty important, because the story will take off in a new direction…probably not in the way most of you will expect but it should be interesting **

**Sorry for the lack of Brathan and Laley interaction in this chapter, but I'll make up for that I promise.**

**Anyways, leave your feedback please!**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N's ****I know there's been a lack of Baley scenes in the last chapters, and while many of you are wondering, no I don't plan to let that friendship die. I love their friendship, so they WILL resolve their issues, within the next couple of chapters and same goes for the Nathan/Haley friendship.**

Sighing deeply, Nathan ran his hand through his short brown locks in exasperation. Stealing a look at his beautiful ex-girlfriend, he felt his heart literally skip a beat as he watched her.

God she was just so beautiful and he loved her so much.

But he had fucked up.

He knew that, and he knew Brooke pretty damn well.

She wasn't going to let him slide on this one.

Regardless, he had to try. He just _had_ to, because she meant everything to him and he just simply couldn't be without her.

But damn it, she was making it so hard. After yelling at him and cursing him out, she had gone to just completely ignoring him. Shutting him out.

And he didn't know what to do with that. The anger he could deal with, but her silence?

God, it was killing him.

"Brooke, how many times do I have to tell you that I'm sorry?" he began again, speaking for the first time since he'd parked in the middle of the road just outside of town.

No response.

"I know I was an idiot okay? And you'll never truly know how much I regret it and wish to take it back."

Again nothing.

"Brooke, c'mon, hear me out! I love you so damn much and this thing with Rachel meant absolutely nothing okay? It's _you_ I want to be with. Only you."

When she again refused to respond, he pulled back and slammed his hand against the steering wheel in anger.

"Damn it Brooke! What do you want me to say here? What do you want me to do?"

Sneering, she turned to look at him and he had to flinch at the cold and dead look in her beautiful hazel eyes.

"I want you to leave me the_ hell_ alone." Her voice was pure ice and she was staring at him calmly, which scared him more than he would ever admit. "I don't care about your excuses or why it happened, because either way you cheated on me and no amount of apologies is _ever _going to erase that okay? So quit wasting my fucking time and take me home."

"But-"

"I'm _not_ going to be sympathetic to your self-control issues! And I refuse to accept that as an excuse!" she snapped, her eyes flashing angrily.

Screw this, she was done crying and feeling heart-broken over the whole thing. Now she was just angry.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell you that we're over and I never want to see you again. But you just don't get it! I _don't _want to see you. I _don't _want to be with you!"

Her words tore at him and he took in a shallow breath. This wasn't happening. He couldn't lose her. He just couldn't.

"Brooke, baby please I'll do anything..anything you ask me to, but please, please just forgive me.." when she scoffed and turned away from him, he clenched his jaw.

Her show of indifference made something inside of him snap.

Reaching across the center console that separated them, he grabbed her and brought her towards him fiercely.

Fine, she didn't want to listen to him, then he would just have to _show_ her.

Not giving her a chance to react, he bent his head down and captured her lips with his own, almost harshly.

She gasped in surprise and she struggled against him, but when she felt his tongue tracing the bottom of her lip, she just couldn't help herself and her struggles subsided.

She wanted to hate herself for it, but she gave in to him. Her arm came to rest against his chest and she tilted her head, to allow him more access.

Satisfied with her lack of resistance and the way she almost seemed to melt against him, Nathan brought her even closer, exploring every inch of her mouth hungrily.

God, it had only been a couple of days since he'd been able to taste the sweetness of her lips, but it felt like an eternity and he wondered how he could have ever gone so long without her.

After several minutes, he pulled away from her. Pressing his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes at the million sensations coursing through his entire being.

"Tell me again." he demanded breathlessly. "Tell me honestly after that, that you don't want to be with me anymore. Tell me, that you didn't feel anything between us and I'll leave you alone forever."

* * *

"So, where you really planning on making your escape without saying bye to me?" Haley teased, walking towards Lucas as she spotted him leaving the gym. Wrapping one arm coyly around his neck, she leaned in for a quick kiss. "Hey you."

Clearing his throat, he attempted a smile as he watched her, almost transfixed. "Hey."

"What's wrong?" she asked, frowning as she watched the hesitation flash across his beautiful baby blue eyes.

Debating silently, he finally pushed aside the images of her and Felix earlier in the halls out of his mind.

Shaking his head, he smiled and wrapped both arms around her waist, bringing her in closer. "I'm just tired, that's all."

She seemed to accept that and he dropped a quick kiss on her lips, before wrapping one arm around her shoulder.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her as they both made their way towards the parking lot.

"I could go for some food."

"Well, listen, my mom..uh well she has her own café as you might know and she uh.."

Smiling as she took in his slight nervousness, she replied. "She wants to meet me?"

Chuckling, he looked down embarrassed. "Yeah. I kinda told her about you..about us and well…listen if you don't want to then that's totally cool. We don't have to and we could go somewhere else-"

Stopping in her tracks, she turned towards him and cut him off with a sweet kiss.

"It's okay. I want to, really. I've heard your mom serves some of the best food in town." She smiled at him reassuringly and he couldn't help but smile back. "And besides, I really want to know what all you've told her about me." she finished in a teasing tone, before leaning over and kissing him again.

* * *

Taking a deep shaky breath, Brooke closed her eyes as she breathed in Nathan's unique scent. She was so stupid, so utterly and totally idiotic. How the hell did she let him kiss her again? Why had she given in so easily to him?

_Because you love him. And you know that no matter what he does, you will always love him._

Gathering her thoughts, it took everything in her to push him away but that's what she did.

"How dare you?" she fumed, blinking back tears. "How dare you kiss me after all that you've done to me? Don't you get it? Nothing will ever be the same between us again!"

"You say that, but I don't believe you. Because I know you still love me. As much as I love you."

"It doesn't matter!" she screamed, turning towards him. "Love is not everything Nathan."

"Why not?" he demanded. "Is it so hard for you to accept that I screwed up? Brooke, if you'll just say that you forgive me, I promise I won't look at another girl ever again. You're it for me baby, so please...please just forgive me. I love you."

"I can't." she admitted tearfully. "I can't forgive that you slept with Rachel. I just can't."

"You can try."

Closing her eyes, she turned towards the window, refusing to look at him anymore. God, he was just making it so hard to hate him right now. And a part of her, wanted so badly to forgive him, to let it all go and just start all over again. Because as much as she hated herself for it, she couldn't deny that she loved him. And she missed him, god she missed him so much. Missed his touch, his kiss...just being with him. A large part of her was telling her to just screw it all and to give in to what her heart so obviously wanted.

But the other part of her refused to do so. The other part of her _knew _that things would never the the same between them ever agian.

"I can't." she finally replied, wiping the tears from her eyes. "And most importantly, I don't want to. And if you really do love me Nathan, then you will respect that. Now, can you please just take me home?"

Watching the quiet determination on her face and the finality in her words, his heart thudded painfully against his chest.

"Fine." he responded, clenching his jaw as he revved up the engine, giving in to her request.

He'd agreed, only because he knew how much he was hurting her right now, so he wouldn't push the issue with her anymore.

But there was no way, this meant he was accepting it and giving up on her.

He would just give her time, and he would show her that he loved her and needed her.

One day at a time.

* * *

"Hey Jake. Can I talk to you?"

Looking over his shoulder, Jake nodded and smiled at the curly blonde shifting nervously behind him. He turned back to Brad and Tyler and told them he'd see them at practice.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Umm..yeah..listen I wanted to-" pausing, she frowned as she looked around her. "I just don't...okay about.."

"Is this about what you told me yesterday?" he asked her knowingly, watching the adorable way she looked up at him, her eyes wide.

"Err...yeah." she let out a breath and gave him an uncertain smile.

"Listen, if you're worried I'm going to say anything-"

"No, no that's not it. I know you're a trustworthy guy Jake, and I know in a way that's probably putting you in the middle. Y'know with Brooke and all but no that's not what I wanted to say."

"Then what is it?" he asked gently.

"Forget I ever said anything okay? Our little heart to heart from yesterday..just rewind and erase."

"Rewind and erase huh?"

"Yeah. I was..suffering from temporary insanity and-"

"It scares you doesn't it?" he interrupted her.

"What?"

"Your feelings for him. It scares the crap out of you."

Biting her lip, she looked at everywhere but at him. Afraid that he'd see through her with one look into her eyes. Finally taking a deep breath, she pushed her curls out of her face.

"There are no feelings Jake."

"Denying it won't make it go away."

"Seriously, it's nothing."

"Peyton, it's okay if you like Nathan." he insisted gently. "It's not the end of the world or anything."

"Maybe not _your_ world." she retorted. "But in _my_ world, it's totally unacceptable to go around kissing the sworn enemy."

He raised an eyebrow, "Sworn enemy?"

"Oh c'mon, you know what I mean. Lucas and Nathan hate each other and I just.." she stopped and huffed in annoyance. "Forget it okay? Let's just drop the whole thing please."

"Okay, okay fine." he agreed. "But listen, I know we don't really know each other that well but I just want to let you know that if you ever need to...talk to someone, I'm here okay?"

She tilted up her head and she smiled at the sincerity in his words. It was in that moment she realized that Jake Jagielski was truly one of a kind and she wished there were more guys like him. She couldn't help but wonder how Brooke could be so blind when it came to him.

But then again, she was so in love with Nathan and…

Ugh, she was thinking way too much again.

"Thanks, Jake." she replied softly.

Stepping forward, he wrapped her up into a quick friendly hug and was happy to feel her relax against him as she returned his gesture.

"I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

Pulling apart quickly, they turned to see Brooke standing before them, a peculiar expression on her face. Shaking her head, Peyton muttered that she was late to class and took her leave.

Watching the scene unfold in front of her, Brooke suddenly felt a flash of annoyance course through her but shook it off quickly and blamed it on the lack of sleep.

"Hey, Dimples." Jake smiled over at Brooke once Peyton left. "What's wrong?" he asked, noticing the look in her eyes.

"You know me too well." she gave him a sad smile. "I'm sorry about yesterday Jake. Nathan had no right to be that way with you. I don't know what came over him, but then again, Nathan Scott and complete jackass is one and the same and.."

"Don't worry about me. How are _you_ doing? I didn't hear from you last night."

Looking down, she fought the tears that flooded her eyes suddenly. "He uh, he asked me back and I said no of course. But being near him again...I-I don't know." she admitted. "And if that wasn't bad enough, this morning Bitchoria reminded me that the Charity Ball is coming up in a couple of weeks, and y'know it's just expected of me and Nathan going together and I tried to tell her, but it's not like she cares anyways right?" she let out a bitter laugh and it made his heart constrict with pain for her. He wrapped her up in his embrace in a show of support and she reciprocated back gratefully.

"I hate this, all of this and more than anything I hate the fact that I still love him. With everything inside of me but he hurt me so much and I just..I really think this time it's over." Pulling away, she gave him an embarrassed smile. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't dump this all over you and I'm sure you're sick of me going on and on about the same thing."

"Don't feel that way Brooke. I'm always here for you. Don't ever question that okay?"

"You're the best friend any girl could ask for Jake Jagielski." Wrapping her arms tightly around his frame, she smiled to herself as she leaned into him. "I don't know what I would do without you. And if I don't say it enough, thank you."

Feeling the air being sucked out of him, he closed his eyes as his arms wrapped tightly around her small waist. "You're welcome." He whispered, breathing in her scent. "I'd do anything for you Dimples."

_Because I love you._

* * *

"Hey, Peyton."

Turning away from the books she'd been shoving into her locker, Peyton turned towards her right and smiled a little uncertainly.

"Uh..hey. Tyler right?"

He nodded as he leaned against the locker that was next to hers. This was good, she knew who he was.

"So I know this might sound like it's coming out of nowhere but there's something I want to ask you."

"Okay..."

"I was wondering if Friday night after the game...you and I could maybe.."

Shutting her locker, she turned to him, her green eyes slightly amused.

"You're asking me out?"

"That obvious huh?"

She let out a small laugh as she hugged her books to her chest. "Yeah."

"So, then what do you say?"

"Uh..listen, you seem like a really good guy but-"

"Well, that's a no if I've ever heard one." he interrupted her, laughing to cover his embarrassment.

"No..it's not like that." she paused, unsure of what to make of the whole thing. "It's just..I-"

"You're into someone else." he provided, watching her eyes widen in surprise.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, it's either that or I'm just not your type." he smiled and she couldn't help but notice that he really did have a nice smile. "I just figured since Lucas is so obviously with Haley that you'd-"

"What?" she tilted her head and stared at him confused. "What do they have to do with anything?"

"I know you and Lucas-"

"Wait, what?" she cut him off, laughing. "Me and Lucas? Look, we're just friends. Seriously. Despite the rumors, we're _not_ into each other."

"Oh, okay." Taking her books from him, he smiled as he led them down the hall. "That's good to hear."

"For who?" she lifted an eyebrow, as she walked alongside him. "For you?"

"Well, yeah." he admitted. "Look, I think you're really pretty Peyton and I just want to get to know you. Is that so bad?"

"I guess not."

"So, what do you say then?"

"I..I don't know Tyler. I'm not really into the whole dating thing."

"So, we won't then. Make it a date I mean. How about we just ride together to Tim's party after the game? You are going right?"

"I guess. I mean, that seems to be the regular routine after a game."

"So then can I? Take you there I mean. We can just...hang out and get to know each other."

Hesitating, she stared at him thoughtfully before she decided that there was really no harm in the whole situation.

"Sure, why not?"

* * *

Sitting in his 5th period English class, Nathan turned to his right side, attempting to catch Brooke's attention. He'd been wanting to talk to her all day, but she'd expertly avoided him.

Seeing as this was the only class they shared, he figured that this was his only opportunity.

Scribbling on a blank sheet of paper, he discreetly tossed it over to her. _I'm not giving up on us Brooke. Can we talk after practice?_

Sighing in annoyance, she gave him a deathly glare, before purposely crumpling it up, not bothering to even read it. He stared at her and she just rolled her eyes. Didn't he get the message?

"Early in his career, Hemingway was frustrated." Their teacher's voice broke through and it was a good reminder that they should both be paying attention to the lesson. "He was a good writer who wanted to be great. And eventually, he discovered that less is more." he paused, and he stared at Brooke, who's attention was obviously diverted. Clearing his throat, he stepped right in front of the beautiful brunette's desk. "Ms. Davis, I'm not boring you am I?"

Jumping slightly, she turned on her full charm and flashed the young teacher her trademark smile. "Of course not Mr. Kelley."

"Very well Ms. Davis. Turning back to the discussion, Hemingway believed that less was more, and that sometimes flowery language wasn't necessary to get a sentiment across. All that sufficed was one word. So, Ms. Davis, let's try it shall we? Can you describe, let's see, Mr. Scott in just one word?"

Flipping her brown locks over her shoulder, she raised an eyebrow as she shot a glance at Nathan, then at Lucas who just so happened to sit a couple of seats away from her.

"Which one?"

This caused slight laughter to ripple throughout the classroom and Brooke grinned to herself satisfied when she saw Nathan glower at her, obviously unamused.

"Amusing Ms. Davis." the teacher supplied, walking back towards the center of the classroom. "Why don't you take your pick?"

"Um.."

"Nathan it is. Ms. Davis, please describe Nathan Scott using just one word."

Sucking in her breath, Brooke's hazel eyes locked with Nathan's beautiful blue orbs, the ones she was so familiar with.

Struggling a little bit, she tried not to let her voice betray her, as she sat up straight and stared at him.

"Liar."

Closing his eyes, Nathan shifted in his seat to face the front again. He'd been watching as she struggled within herself, and his heart broke a little as he realized once again, how much he'd hurt her. But her voice had rang out strong and sure, and he couldn't help but feel the sting of her words, or word as the case may be.

"Okay." Mr. Kelley nodded, and he felt a slight curiosity as he watched the exchange between his two students. He'd been at THH long enough to know that Nathan Scott and Brooke Davis had been one and the same for so long, but now it seemed that was no longer the case. "Let's try this again shall we? Mr. Scott.." watching Nathan's attention turn towards him, he nodded towards the blonde boy sitting a couple of seats away from Brooke. "The _other_ Scott. Lucas, please describe Brooke with just one word."

Looking up surprised, Lucas turned his attention to Brooke. Furrowing his brow, he studied the brunette thoughtfully. Many different words came to mind, _beautiful, cheerleader, perky, bitchy, snobby..._

But as his blue eyes, connected with hers, there was only one word that could really serve justice to what exactly she was at that moment.

Lifting one shoulder, he sent her a small smile as he settled on. "Heart-broken."

Turning in his seat, curious to know what Lucas had to say about his ex-girlfriend, Nathan had never expected that. And he hadn't expected Brooke to give his hated half-brother a soft look, along with a smile and he felt a surge of anger hit him.

"That's _two_ words." he snapped, and he gritted his teeth and jumped out of his seat, much to his classmates surprise. "And you don't know the first thing about it, _Pucas."_

Staring in shock, Brooke watched as Nathan lunged towards Lucas and soon the two were tumbling around in the floor.

* * *

Sitting right outside of Principal Turner's office, Lucas still didn't quite comprehend why he was there.

Nathan had lunged at _him_ and he'd just defended himself, so why the hell was _he _in trouble?

He still didn't know why Nathan had attacked him. I mean, sure the two had always been at odds with each other. Sharing the same father could do that to you, but still...

All he'd done was comply with his teacher's request.

He picked up the ice pack the principal's assistant had given him while he waited his turn and he put it against his already swollen eye.

He didn't even want to think about how his mom was going to take this, let alone his coach.

Letting his head fall back against the wall, he straightened up as he watched Nathan's ex-girlfriend, suddenly appear in the deserted hall.

He shifted in his seat uncomfortably and was confused when she noticed him and decided to take a seat next to him.

"Here, let me." Brooke took the ice pack from him and he was almost surprised by the gentle way in which she applied it to his eye.

She tried not to apply too much pressure and smiled sympathetically at him, when she saw him wince in pain. "I'm sorry about Nathan."

"Why are you apologizing for him? The guy is a fucking jackass, plain and simple. He always has been."

"I know. But he was way out of line."

"Yeah, understatement of the week. What the hell was that?"

"He was just jealous."

"I guess I hit a nerve with him, huh? Brooke, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that."

She looked down in surprise when she realized that he'd taken her free hand. "No, it's okay. I mean it's the truth anyways."

He didn't know how to respond, but he could see the sadness reflected in her hazel eyes. "Hey, it's going to be okay. You're going to be okay Brooke Davis."

Snapping her head up, she looked at him in surprise. A smile lit up her face and she shook her head. "Uh..thank you, I guess." staring at him thoughtfully, she realized that his blue eyes were so sincere and just so honest and she felt something inside of her shift. "You're...really sweet Lucas. And I can't believe..."

It was as if she was truly seeing him for the first time ever.

"I don't know why Nathan hates you so much...how anyone could hate you really."

Staring at her quizzically, he was about to respond, when the school's office swung open before him, and an angry looking Nathan appeared, along with the school's secretary.

"Lucas, Principal Turner is ready to see you."

"Okay." he sighed, dropping the ice pack and standing up, before squaring his shoulders and walking into the office.

Looking up, Brooke could see the questioning look in Nathan's blue eyes as she was sure, he had just seen her with Lucas.

Smirking, she stood up and gave him a heated look, before sauntering down the hall.

A new plan was formulating in her head and all she could think of was..

_Revenge is going to be a bitch Nathan Scott._

_**A/N Uh-Oh, is that a sign of what's to come? Brooke and Lucas...hmm. **_

**_Reviews would be lovely people!_**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N (hangs head in shame) I know, I know I suck for not updating this sooner, so I won't go into detail with excuses hahaha. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and reviews would be a lovely welcome back :) just saying.**

"So, are you going to tell me about the fight, or do you want to just assume I know all about it while I yell at you?"

Grimacing, Lucas stood upright in his bed as his mother burst into his room angrily.

"Mom I-"

"You know when they called me today, I was certain they had the wrong Scott." She continued to fume, coming to stand directly in front of him and he flinched at her tone. "But then they told me they had _two _Scotts and I could take my pick. Seriously Lucas? Fighting in class? Fighting at _all_?"

"He's the one who hit me!"

"And you couldn't be the bigger person in all of this? Honestly, Lucas after 17 years, I thought I taught you better than that."

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" he argued. "Walk away while his fist was smashing into my face?"

"Well, what did you do?"

Pausing, Lucas squinted up at his mom, his face a perfect picture of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"What did you do to do for him to hit you first, like you claim?"

"Like I claim? Mom, I didn't do anything! I can't believe you're even asking me that. You _know_ how he is, tell me when has he ever not been a jackass? When has he ever even needed a reason?"

"Either way you're grounded." Her tone was firm and he stared at her incredulously. "After the game you come straight home, and the same goes after basketball practice next week. And don't even think about making any plans this weekend young man."

"But mom that's not even fair!" he protested. "I didn't even start it!"

She ignored his last protest and held out her hand. "Give me your cell phone."

He was about to protest again, but the look she was giving him made him change his mind, and he grabbed the phone from his nightstand and handed it over to his mom wordlessly.

Snapping it open, she pressed the send key until the phone turned off and turned to look at him. "You can get this back next week, along with the rest of your privileges. And until you learn how to better handle these situations then..."

Tuning her out, Lucas slumped down in his bed, beyond angry now. How the hell had all this turned out to be _his_ fault?

Nathan had been the jerk. Nathan had been the one who hit him! And now _he_ was the one being punished?

How was this fair at all? Especially since he was pretty sure, that Nathan wasn't going to be punished for this at all.

He was probably getting a pat in the back.

It wasn't until his mom left, that something she'd said rang out in his mind.

_Don't even think about making plans for this weekend._

* * *

"What's this I hear about a fight?"

Lifting the weights over his chest, Nathan tried to ignore the sudden appearance of his Dad. "Nothing."

"Did you at least win?

"Dad, it was nothing okay?"

"No, son, it was something. Because if it was nothing, the principal wouldn't have called me at the dealership. Do you realize how fast a suspension or bad reputation could ruin your prospects?"

"He was hitting on Brooke!" Nathan growled, sitting up and setting the weights back in their place. "What the hell was I supposed to do huh?"

Rolling his eyes, Dan went behind his son to spot him. "Nathan, if you're going to get in a fight, get in a fight over something important."

"She _is_ important!" Nathan gritted out angrily, grabbing his towel and wiping the sweat off his face. "Did you really think I was going to sit back and just let your _other son_, flirt with _my _girl? No way in hell Dad. The punk deserved every single hit."

"I thought she broke up with you?" Dan shook his head. "Never mind, small details. You need to focus on basketball Nathan."

"Of course Dad." Nathan replied bitterly, getting up angrily and throwing his towel on the bench press. "Nothing else matters right?"

Taking his son's previous position on the bench press, Dan ignored his son's upset tone as he lifted the weights over his frame.

"By the way your mom just called and it looks like her plans are delayed once again. She'll be here only in time for the Charity Ball next week."

"Yeah, of course." Nathan huffed out. "Doesn't even surprise me."

And it wasn't until he left the room, that he remembered that he and Brooke were expected to go to that together.

* * *

"Can I be excused?"

Noting the cool tone in her son's words, Karen sighed and nodded as she watched Lucas get up and pick up his half-uneaten plate.

"So I take it he's still mad at you huh?" Keith commented, watching his nephew exit the kitchen and head towards his room, without a second glance to them.

"Yeah." Karen pushed aside the food on her plate and she looked up at him. "Am I wrong in all this Keith?"

"On what? Disciplining him?"

"Well, yeah." she admitted. "He got into a fight..and was suspended for the rest of the day..but still, somehow I feel like I'm in the wrong here. Like I'm the bad guy in all this."

"You only feel like that because he's your son. And you hate to see him so upset with you." Keith pointed out sensibly. "And I may not know the entire story of what really went down, but I don't think you're in the wrong here Karen. Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No, it's okay." Karen shook her head, but her hand reached across the table, grasping Keith's hand in her own. "As much as I would appreciate that, I really think he just needs a little time off by himself."

* * *

Though she usually was a morning person, and among the first at school, Brooke wished that morning that she'd ignored her alarm and just slept right through it.

"Ugh. Damn it." She murmured to herself, her heels clicking on the linoleum floor as she made her way through the double doors. Rubbing her head with one palm, she blinked against the _very_ harsh lights of the hallways. Had they always been this bright? Or had someone overnight flicked up a couple of extra lights to make her horrible hangover even worse?

Reaching her locker, she blearily spun the combination, ignoring her stomach as it grumbled loudly in protest of the skipped breakfast.

She almost wished that she hadn't gone out with Theresa and Bevin last night. Sure, it wasn't the first time any of them went out and had a couple on a school night, but last night was different.

After a particular nasty shouting match with her mother _dearest_ over the upcoming Charity Ball and her expected _date..._she'd gone upstairs in a huff and stumbled across what she'd labeled as her Nathan box, any reminder of her _ex _that she planned to throw out.

Well, needless to say her already foul mood plummeted to absolute shit bottom.

So in typical Brooke Davis fashion, she called her fellow cheerleaders and suggested checking out the new bar on the next town over. With their fake ID's of course.

Though usually her favorites, last night's one too many Mai Tai's and Blue Lagoon's sat heavily in her stomach and it was everything she could do to hold it together without passing out or puking.

Yeah, this day was going to suck royally.

Grabbing her notebook, she shut her locker and looked up in time to see Lucas Scott walk through the double doors, lonesome as could be.

Okay, so maybe this day wouldn't have to be so bad.

Using her free hand to run her fingers through her hair, she ran her tongue over her lips and plastered her infamous dimpled grin on her lips as she leaned sexily against her locker.

"Hey hot-shot." she called out in her low, raspy voice. "How's your eye?"

Lucas couldn't mask the surprise as he spotted the beautiful brunette's gaze trained on him. Noticing he was among the few in the hallway, he knew she must be talking to him, though it still startled the hell out of him. She had never even once spared a glance in his direction before, but this was the second time she talked to him.

Nevertheless, he wasn't one to be rude and he didn't want to question too much why she was suddenly...acknowledging his existence.

Coming to stand in front of her, he lifted a shoulder and gave her a friendly smile. "Doesn't hurt as much as yesterday that's for sure."

She giggled and she lifted a perfectly manicured hand to the site of damage. "It certainly looks better."

Slightly startled at her soft touch, he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, I know." he shot her another smile. "But what about you? How are you doing Brooke?"

Blinking back in surprise, Brooke looked to the floor quickly before looking back up to meet his gaze. "Uh...I'm doing great. Everything's fine with me." Ignoring the unconvinced look he was giving her, she took a deep breath and decided to change tactics. "Anyways, ready to tear it up at Beer Creek today?"

"Oh, um yeah of course." he nodded, taking the hint that she obviously didn't want to talk about her. "It's the first away game, and Bear Creek had good stats last season...but I think we have this one. There's an amazing amount of talent in the team this year."

"Oh, yeah. We've got the hottest team by miles." She responded loftily, locking her gaze with his and pushing off her locker slightly. "I can't wait to see you do your thing out there tonight Number 3. I'll definetely be keeping my eye on _you _tonight."

Pausing, he squinted his eyes at her adorably. Was she...flirting with him?

Clearing his throat, a little uncomfortably he looked away from her intense gaze. "Um...right. Listen Brooke, it was nice talking to you...but I've gotta run..my first class is on the other side of the building and..."

"Oh, but wait, don't run away from me just yet." She pouted cutely and grabbed his arm. "I may not see you the rest of the day and..." She winked at him, "I know you don't need it, but..." leaning towards him, she planted a soft, lingering kiss on his cheek and pulled away, enjoying the blush that crept up his cheeks adorably. "Good luck tonight hot-shot."

Watching him disappear down the hall, Brooke grinned in self triumph. She was good. She was sooo good and soon enough Lucas Scott would be putty in her hands.

And who knows? Maybe she would enjoy this more than she thought. After all Lucas really was cute...and sweet...

And the perfect way to get back at Nathan Scott.

* * *

Walking along the crowded hallways at the beginning of lunch period, Haley couldn't help but smile to herself at the way that everyone was so obviously hyped up about that night's game. As much as she liked to tell herself that she didn't enjoy all the madness that surrounded her, in the end it gave her a rush and a feeling of pride as much as it did everyone else.

Especially now that she had a special someone to cheer on.

She hadn't yet seen Lucas, and come to think of it she hadn't heard from him last night either. She'd heard at yesterday's practice, this was Tree Hill High after all, and gossip traveled fast...that he and Nathan had come to blows in the only class they shared. She'd tried calling him, a little concerned, but his phone had just kept going straight to voicemail and even Peyton, hadn't really known what had really happened.

A strange feeling arose in her chest and she stopped for a second and chided herself. It really was so unlike her and almost unnecessary to fret about something like that. She was sure that he was fine and the fact that she hadn't heard from him last night or that entire day for that matter didn't have to mean that something was seriously wrong.

Almost laughing out loud, she shook away those thoughts and made her way down towards the quad, waving to familar faces as she passed by and showing the same enthusiasm as her classmates for that night's game.

As she rounded the corner, she spotted Brooke and the rest of the gang sitting by their usual table, minus Nathan and Tyler. Her stomach fluttered nervously as she took a deep breath and made her way towards them.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" She greeted them cheerfully, and she almost winced at the way her tone came across, a little too chirpy.

Brooke immediately stopped laughing and her eyes darkened as she caught sight of her. She pursed her lips in a tight, unhappy line as the others chorused their greeting.

"Hey Brooke."

Swiftly ignoring her, Brooke stood up. "Well, looks like this table suddenly got a little too crowded."

At her cold tone, Haley flinched and she took another shaky breath. "Hey, Brooke actually I was wondering if-"

"_And _I also just lost my appetite." Flicking an icy glare her way, Brooke turned her attention towards the other girls. "Lay off the fries Bev." she warned critically. "At least for tonight. Or I'll designate you to the very bottom of the pyramid and you all know what _that _means." Looking around them, her gaze landed coldly on Haley. "I mean, we're already carrying enough excess weight on the squad as it is...y'know with lies and secrets weighing on certain _someone's_ shoulders..."

Muttering a good-bye, Haley turned around and walked away. The tears she was trying desperately to hold back, blurred her vision and she quickened her steps, wanting to get away from Brooke's line of fire.

She knew her best friend could be really hurtful and vindictive when she wanted to be and though it saddened her to no end that she was now on the receiving end of the Brooke Davis wrath, Haley knew she couldn't really blame her. If anything else, she knew she deserved it.

Still, it didn't keep it from hurting any less.

Not really paying any attention to where she was going, Haley gasped in surprise as she collided against another solid form.

"Whoa, damn shorty where you off to so fast?" A familiar, arrogant tone filled her ears as a pair of arms reached out to steady her. "Well, if this isn't luck, I don't know what is. You're just the person I was looking for."

"Hey Felix." She returned, blinking back the tears as she tried to recollect herself. "I hope that means you've got something to show me."

"You know it." Pausing, Felix narrowed his eyes as he took a second to study her, noticing her glassy eyes. "Yo, Haley you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She gave him what she hoped was a convincing smile. "How did you do on your test?"

"Umm...well..." Rubbing his hand over his forehead, he winced playfully. "I don't really know how to say this Haley but well...here it goes." Reaching into his back pocket, he slowly pulled out a sheet of paper, enjoying the way she was staring at him expectantly.

Smoothing it out, he held it in front of her, unable to hide his gleeful grin any longer.

"Oh!" Looking at the huge red marking scribbled across the sheet of paper, she flicked him on the arm. "You suck!"

"Uh-uh, Ms. Tutor extraordinaire...you see this nice, large A+ says _exactly_ the contrary."

"I just meant you had me thinking the worst there, with your little show and all." She shook her head, smiling up at him brightly. "Wow, an A+...you did even better than I thought! Congratulations Felix...see all it takes is having a little confidence in yourself."

"My very first one actually." he laughed. "Wow, who would've thought...Felix Tagaro...an A+ student! And I owe it all to you." Extending his arms out, he motioned towards her and she laughed.

"Oh, what the hell." Leaning up on her tippy-toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck, returning his embrace full-force, well un-aware of the pair of blue-eyes trained on her.

* * *

"Yo man what's up? You ready for tonight's game?"

Shoving his books into his locker, Nathan didn't even bother to dignify Tyler with a response. He simply turned around and gave him his infamous smirk and shrugged, as if to say _what do you think?_

"Oh, I'm stoked man." Tyler replied enthusiastically as they started to make their way out towards the quad. "But then again, I do have a little incentive to tear the motherfucking roof off today."

"Oh, yeah? And what's that?"

Unable to keep the grin off his face, Tyler clapped his friend on the shoulder. "She said yes man."

Staring at him for a moment, Nathan shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Lay off the fucking drugs till this weekend bro. What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Have you not been paying attention at all dude? The hot blonde ring a bell to you?" When his friend just stared at him blankly, it was Tyler's turn to roll his eyes. "I asked Peyton Sawyer out on a date for today. After the game." he elaborated, missing the way his friend suddenly frowned. "And she said yes man." he paused. "Well not exactly. But she _did_ agree to go with me to Tim's party after the game. You gotta start somewhere right?"

* * *

_Moments earlier..._

"Okay, so let me get this straight.." Peyton frowned, trying to grasp the whole situation as she walked alongside Lucas. "He just _attacked _you? Out of nowhere?"

"Yeah, that's what I said." He shot her a look. "Don't Peyt." he warned at her questioning gaze. "I swear you sound just like my Mom."

"But-"

"No! Why is it so hard to believe that I did absolutely nothing to provoke him? Seriously, this is Nathan we're talking about...when has he ever needed a reason?"

"Yeah, but he's never actually _physically_ attacked you...it just seems a little I don't know..."

"The whole thing was strange."

"Yeah.." she agreed. "So, I guess that's why you didn't answer my calls or texts last night."

"Yeah, if you can believe it my Mom is punishing me and Whitey...well I talked to him this morning and he wasn't pleased to say the least."

"Is he going to let you play today? Lucas...is he-" Cutting off, she realized he was no longer paying attention to her and she stopped, directing his gaze to where he was staring. Frowning as well at the sight ahead of them, Peyton tried to get his attention before he flew off the handle, knowing that he would only make things worse if he created a huge scene in front of the entire student body. But before she could even say a word, he was already making his way towards the embracing pair a few feet away from them.

Letting out a resolute breath, she hurried to keep up with him, knowing that this might not end up too well and she might have to play referee.

"What's going on Haley?"

Startled, Haley pulled away from Felix abruptly, only to come face to face with an angry looking Lucas Scott.

Looking back at Felix quickly, something that Lucas didn't miss, she shot him a nervous smile. "Hey, Luke. What's going on?"

"Why don't _you _tell _me?"_

"Um...what do you mean?" Letting out a nervous, unsure laugh, Haley looked at him strangely. "Are you...okay?"

"Yo, dude why don't you chill?" Felix suggested, though secretly he basked in the basketball player's angry, unsure gaze.

"Yo, _dude, _why don't _you_ mind your own business?" Lucas snapped, unable to mask his growing annoyance. "Better yet, why don't you just leave?" he suggested, his tone hot-red. "I need to talk to Haley."

"Don't." Peyton warned, seeing that Felix was about to protest and Lucas shot her a grateful glance. "Let's leave them alone."

Once the other two left, Haley turned towards Lucas, her mouth slightly agape. "Lucas...what the hell..you want to explain to me what all this is about?"

"No, better yet, how about _you_ explain to me what's going on with you and that...that _jerk?"_

"What's going on with me and..." Pausing, she stared at him wide-eyed as the accusation in his tone hit her full-force. "Wait...are you actually asking me what I think you're asking me?"

"Hell yeah, I am."

"Oh, my god. You're_ jealous_?"

Glowering at the amused glint in her eyes, he clenched his fists and shook his head. "It's _not _funny."

"Lucas.." Biting her lip to keep from laughing, Haley held out her hands and reached for his. "There is _nothing_ going on between me and Felix okay? And the fact that you even.._think_ that there's something going on…well it's actually kinda funny...and almost insulting."

"Well, what am I supposed to believe Haley?" He demanded, not understanding why she was finding this amusing. "You say you hate the guy and yet after everything that he's done to you…every time I turn around you're with him!"

"That's not-"

"Y'know after all the crap he's pulled on you, after the way he's acted, you'd think you'd steer clear off the guy, but no I catch you hugging him like..like well like you want to!"

"It's not what you think Lucas."

"Then what is it?"

"It's.." Pausing, she looked at the ground quickly, remembering the promise she'd made to Felix that she wouldn't tell anyone what they were doing. Sure, she didn't understand what the big deal was, or why he'd even asked her to keep it a secret, but she wouldn't question it, and everyone had a right to keep whatever they felt they needed to private. So she wouldn't say a word.

"I can't tell you okay. But I can assure you that it's not what-"

"You can't tell me?" He stared at her incredioulously. "Then what are we doing here Haley? Why are we even together?"

"What..." Staring at him, she wished she could decipher the look in his eyes just then. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that..." Closing his eyes briefly, he took a deep breath. "I'm saying I can't be with you if you can't be honest with me."

Pressing her lips together, she started shaking her head, at a loss for words. She wanted so badly to tell him what was going on but she wouldn't. And not only because she'd promised Felix, but because she realized that he just wouldn't understand if she _did_ tell him. And honestly, how would she explain it to him? How would she explain that she'd agreed to tutor the guy who'd been such a jackass to her, because of moral obligations, but something else that she couldn't quite yet pinpoint?

"I _am_ being honest with you Lucas." She finally spoke, gazing at him evenly. I'm telling you truthfully that there is _nothing_ going on with me and Felix. And what you just saw...was something not worth arguing about. It wasn't a big deal...and while yes, I can't stand the guy...he..." Shaking her head, she exhaled. "_That_ isn't the poing anymore. The point is that obviously you can't trust me and if that's the case then...then I don't know what we're doing either."

Staring at her heavily, he let out a sound of disbelief. Seriously? She was turning this around on him? After he'd just _seen_ her hugging a guy who wasn't him, and who she claimed she hated and then refused to give him an explanation? Well, he wasn't having it.

No way.

"Okay." He nodded, setting his gaze firmly on hers. "That's fine Haley. Obviously _I'm _in the wrong here. How _dare _I not trust you after walking out and seeing you hugging Felix?" Watching her open her mouth in protest, he held out a hand and he chuckled. "No seriously, you don't have to explain. You've made it _perfectly_ clear that I shouldn't even ask, much less get upset. So I won't ask you again, in fact why don't we pretend I didn't even see anything? It's obviously what you want. For me to ignore it. So I will."

"Lucas-"

"I'll just see you later."

* * *

On the other side of the school quad, sitting on one of the scattered benches, Peyton watched with almost concern the interaction between Haley and Lucas. She obviously couldn't hear what they were saying, but years of knowing Lucas told her that his stance and the way he kept balling one fist over and over again, meant that he was trying very hard to contain his anger.

She tried to get back to the drawing, which she'd started, but she couldn't and she looked up once again, to see him stalk off, leaving Haley standing there alone in what she could only describe as disbelief.

Slamming her sketchbook shut, she stuffed it in her bookbag hurriedly and stood up, her green eyes following his departing form.

"Hey Sawyer."

Jumping startled, she closed her eyes and swore under her breath. Swiveling around, she glared at Nathan. "What the hell?" she demanded. "You scared the living daylights out of me! What are you doing, coming up behind me like some...some sort of creepy stalker?"

"Oh, funny. See, I forget how amusing you could be." He grinned, shaking his head. "But listen...now that we've run into each other." At her glare, he held up his hands innocently. "You think I can talk to you real quick?"

"Yeah, I don't have time right now." Her eyes scanned the quad quickly in search for Lucas, but she didn't see him anymore.

"Oh c'mon, Sawyer. You the girl who has all the time in the world for the rest of the Ravens, but you can't spare a second on me?"

She frowned. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, got your attention now huh?"

"Listen Scott, just tell me what the hell you want." She snapped. "In case you haven't yet gathered, talking to you is something that I really don't like to do. And quite frankly, you're wasting my time because there's other actual _important_ things weighing on my mind right now."

"Oh, you mean like your little date?"

Pausing, she narrowed her eyes as she studied him, his words confusing her at first and then it dawned on her. "So, that's what you wanted to talk to me about 'real quick'?"She crossed her arms in front of her and smiled. "You wanted me to confirm it or something? Because y'know I can, if that's what you want me to do."

"Do you like him?"

She exhaled and rolled her eyes. "And why is it your business? In fact why do you even care? Unless.." Tilting her head to one side, she smirked. "What's the matter Scott? Don't tell me you're...jealous?"

"Jealous?" He scoffed. "You're kidding right? Nah, Sawyer, it's not even like that."

"Then what is it?"

"It's just..." He paused and frowned, and for a moment he actually wondered what it _was_ about. "Well, y'know Tyler is kind of-"

"Oh, _hell_ no. Don't you even _dare_ try to go there with me right now." She fumed, taking a few angry steps closer to him and pushing him back. "Listen you jackass, I don't _need_ you to come over and try to warn me about what kind of guy Tyler is and blah, blah blah. Why don't you just mind your own damn business and leave me the hell alone? Like I've asked you to time and time again!"

Before Nathan even had a chance to take in everything she had just spewed at him, she was gone...and he was left there to stare after her departing form, almost in disbelief.

_What the hell had just happened?_


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N's Hope everyone had a merry xmas and a happy new year! A little side note...****Brooke doesn't entirely know the whole situation between Lucas and Haley. She hasn't seen them together yet, seeing as the whole thing with them didn't come to a full head until _after _the big blow up between Nathan and Brooke (Chapter15) Also, this chapter and chapter 26 were originally going to be one, but it was getting to be too long, and while I hate to split one game day/night and the after party into several chapters, I had to do it. **

It was strange really, to feel the nerves and the anticipation beat as one in her imploding chest. She wasn't the type of girl to get nervous around a guy, to let a guy get to her like that..but then again Lucas Scott wasn't just any guy. At least not to her.

Taking a deep breath, she let her steps not falter her as she made her way over to him. He was standing there, handsome as ever talking to his best friend by her car. He was smiling...something she certainly hadn't seen him do earlier with her. She wondered if he was still mad at her.

"Hey."

Hearing her sweet voice behind him, Lucas felt his heart momentarily stop, before he shared a glance with Peyton. Clearing his throat, he turned his attention to the blonde girl, who always made his pulse race faster.

"Haley." Was all he said and she flinched slightly at his almost indifferent tone. But she wasn't about to let that deter her. Smiling her hello to Peyton, Haley came to stand right in front of them, squashing her nerves. "Are you ready for tonight's game?" she started tentatively.

Sensing the front for the pending conversation, Peyton made an excuse to leave but not before turning to Haley and asking her if she wanted to ride to the game together. Hesitating slightly, Haley shrugged and nodded and told Peyton to wait for her and the curly blonde left, but not before sharing an uncertain glance with Lucas.

Once she had left, Haley crossed her arms in front of her insecurely and looked over at the blonde basketball player who had complicated her life and heart as of recent.

"Are you still mad at me?"

Snapping his gaze away from his departing best friend, Lucas shoved his hands into the pockets of his Ravens jumpsuit and shrugged.

"Are you still not going to tell me what's going on with you and Felix?"

Opening her mouth, and closing it again, for the first time in a long time...Haley was at a loss for words.

Scoffing, Lucas shook his head as he watched Haley look at anywhere but him. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Her eyes snapping quickly over to him, she reached over and grabbed his arm, preventing him from leaving.

"No, Lucas wait. Don't be like that."

"How do you want me to be Haley?" Lucas snapped, shaking his grasp from hers and leaning against Peyton's classic Comet. "All I want is to know what's going on with you and Felix. See it from my perspective okay? What if you constantly caught me hanging around, talking to.._hugging_another girl and refused to explain to you, only to state that there's nothing going on? Look, Haley I'm not that guy okay? The one that prevents you from having any male friends...talking to other guys..but when it does concern a certain jackass who's done nothing but wrong to you..well all I want is for you to be upfront with me. Is that too much to ask?"

Staring at him for what like seemed an eternity, Haley was the first one to break away from his intense, imploring gaze and she took a deep breath. "You're right. You deserve to know and I'm going to tell you but..."Biting at her lip, she ran her hand through her golden tresses. "You can't be mad at me okay? Or question my...reasons. Just understand."

"Okay."

"I'm uh...well. I'm tutoring him."

He squinted at her, in that way she always found just utterly adorable. "You're..._tutoring_ him?"

"Yeah...I uh...he asked you know? And as much as I can't stand him...and he asked for me not to tell anyone and that's why I didn't say anything but Lucas.." Reaching out, she grasped his hands with hers. "That's it okay? I-there's no other reason why I'm hanging out with him. No ulterior motives or feelings. You believe me right?"

"Just tutoring right?"

"Just tutoring." she affirmed.

Nodding slowly, Lucas let out a breath as he let his hands fall to her waist. "Okay. I believe you."

Smiling, Haley fell into his embrace, leaning over and brushing her lips against his. He quickly responded to her kiss and didn't hesitate to deepen it, bringing her form against his even tighter. As always, the mere feeling made her heart jump and she allowed herself to lose herself completely, throwing caution into the wind and not caring that they were smack in the middle of the parking lot at their high school.

All that mattered was the way she felt in that moment.

* * *

Staring critically into the mirror, Brooke reached for her lip gloss as the rest of her squad filed out of the visitor's girl locker rooms. Fluffing her hair, she squinted and attempted to smile, but her reflection flashed back, tired and almost haunted.

Letting out a deep sigh, she straightened up and ran her brush through her hair one more time before stepping out as well. Walking down the unfamiliar hallway, she smiled as she spotted Jake trailing after his fellow teammates. She waved and she wished him good luck and he grinned back at her. She also sees Lucas and she winks at him, but she doesn't see Nathan and she tells herself repeatedly that she wasn't looking for him anyways.

She's reached the gym double doors when she feels a pair of arms encircle her waist and she gasps in surprise. Turning around, she comes face to face with the boy she convinced herself she wasn't looking for and immediately she tenses.

"Get off me you-"

She's silenced immediately as his lips brush against hers quickly. Stunned, she pushes him away and is almost angry at the way he's grinning at her.

"Just cause' you're mad at me and pretend that you don't still love me, doesn't mean that I want to mess up my before game ritual."

Before she can even comment, or fly off the handle, he's already gone, sauntering towards the boy's locker room. She stands there for a couple of minutes, fuming at his audacity. She tries to convince herself that it doesn't completely affect her, but after a while she can't help the smile that lights up her face as she touches her lips with her fingers lightly.

* * *

To say that Lucas's head wasn't entirely in the game was a complete understatement. He tried to shake off that growing feeling of anxiousness away, knowing that he couldn't screw this up. Whitey had given him a chance to start, and after everything that had happened in the last few games and the last incident with Nathan, Lucas knew that Whitey was really putting everything out there by giving him a chance.

And he really, _really_ didn't want to screw that up.

But damn it, every time the ball came towards him, it was like he had suddenly forgotten how to play the sport that had been his comfort growing up.

And it didn't help that everytime he looked towards the stands, either Felix was smirking at him or grinning at Haley on the other side of the gym. What the hell was he doing there anyways?

As another ball whizzed by him, Lucas cursed under his breath and clenched his fists, telling himself that he needed to shake himself out of..._whatever_ had him like this.

"Hey Pucas!" Nathan barked, running by him as the other team caught hold of the ball. "Why don't you get your head in the game huh? And how about trying to put your hands up on the defense all right?"

Letting out a breath, Lucas jogged out towards the center of the court, where Nathan had suddenly gotten possession of the ball back, but he'd side-stepped an opponent only to get the ball swiped from his hands.

"And why don't _you _try not getting beat?" Lucas suggested, as Nathan ran past him again.

Pausing slightly, Nathan glanced over his shoulder and smirked. "And why don't I just beat your ass? _Again?"_

Getting back in the game, Lucas caught the ball that the defense had gotten hold of and ran towards their side of the court, preparing for a lay-up.

As the opponent's team's defense came up behind him and swatted the ball, it rolled out of bounds.

"Ball in!" The referee blew the whistle and Lucas closed his eyes and turned towards the bench, catching sight of Whitey's unimpressed stare.

Hearing Nathan laughing behind him, Lucas turned to glare at him.

"Nice try bastard. Keep it up yeah, and we might just lose."

"Hey, you gonna talk or are you gonna play, Daddy's boy?" Lucas snapped, trying his best to ignore his jackass of a..._teammate _as the ball got into play again. Nathan chuckled and he turned towards the end side of the gym, where the cheerleaders were jumping into another cheer. And he grinned, coming up next to Lucas.

"Hey, y'know who's looking really hot right now? Peyton."

Stopping, Lucas gritted his teeth as he held up his hands for a pass from Tim. "Stay the hell away from her."

"Oh, you mean like how you're staying away from Haley?" he shot back. "And speaking of man, she's looking pretty hot herself. I could steal her away from you if I really wanted to y'know. Me and her...we go way back. There's a lot of history there." He taunted, enjoying seeing the flustered look on his face. "But y'know what? Nah...besides I think Felix just might get to her before I do...I hear they've been pretty uh..._friendly_if y'know what I mean."

Clenching his jaw, Lucas jumped up and caught the ball and ran towards the other side of the court, and came up right underneath the basket, shooting up in the air for a perfect lay-up. Turning towards the cheerleaders, who were jumping up and down excitedly, he leaned towards Brooke.

"Hey, so I saw Nathan in the shower...yeah no wonder you dumped his ass."

Brooke laughed and Haley and Peyton turned to look at each other, completely shocked.

And Nathan, who had just received a pass from Tyler and was heading towards that side for another play, saw Lucas leaning towards Brooke and he saw red. Gripping the ball firmly in his hands, he swung it hard towards Lucas.

Feeling the ball hit him square in the back of the head, Lucas stopped and turned towards Nathan who was glaring at him just as fiercely. Storming towards him, he pushed him back as the crowd gasped. Pushing him back with equal force, Nathan pulled back and swung straight at his jaw, sending him flying backwards into the stunned cheerleaders. Neither noticed as they knocked Brooke over, or as the crowd started shouting in protest or as Whitey and the rest of the team ran over to them.

All either could concentrate was on the gratifying sound of fist smashing against face, over and over again.

The referee was blowing his whistle like crazy as the rest of the team struggled to pull Lucas and Nathan apart.

"You two!" He shouted, once Jake pulled up Lucas and Tyler and Tim restrained Nathan. "You're out of here!"

"You're throwing them both out of the game?"

"I have to, Coach. Sorry, I got thing's rolling."

As the referee ran off, Whitey stared after him aghast.

"They're on the same team!"

* * *

"Ow, ow, ow! Oh my god pain!" Brooke was still on the ground, rubbing her ankle and wincing. "Ohh..."

Stopping for a second, Nathan looked over towards her and leaned down towards the brunette beauty. He frowned in regret, watching as she struggled in pain to stand up. "Baby, don't. Here I'll help you out. I'm sorry..."

"Don't!" She swatted his hand away angrily. "You're sorry for what? For being such a classic man-whore? Or for trampling me over?"

"Brooke…"

Ignoring him, Brooke looked past him and smiled sweetly up at Lucas. "Can you help me up Lucas?"

Stiffening, Nathan looked over to his side at Lucas who had suddenly appeared next to him.

Son of a bitch...

The rest of the team, sensing that another fight was about to break out grabbed a hold of both Nathan and Lucas and pushed them towards the locker rooms.

* * *

"Ow, damn it that's too tight!" Brooke complained, watching as the team's doctor's assistant tried to wrap the bandage around her ankle "Uh no, now it's too loose."

Sighing, he looked over and shared a glance with Haley, who had accompanied the beautiful brunette. Trying his hardest not to roll his eyes, he asked, "There, how about now?"

"Better." Brooke admitted, tilting her head as she regarded him. Not bad. He couldn't be over 22 and he _was_ pretty cute. "So, you're in college right? What's your name?"

"Colin. And uh...yeah. I'm a junior."

"Oh...y'know...I love college guys." She paused and she sat up a little straighter, smiling up at him flirtatiously. "Just to think...two more years and you'll be a doctor."

"Uh, yeah not exactly." he laughed.

Tilting her head back, Brooke smirked as she moved herself enough to where her legs where on perfect display. "So tell me, Doctor College Boy. If you wanted to give me something for the pain, you could right?"

Sensing where this was going, Haley spoke up for the first time. "I think it's time to take you home." Giving her life-long best friend a look, she stated quietly, but determinedly. "Stay here okay? I'm going to get our stuff. I'm driving you back."

"Excuse me?" Brooke tore her gaze away from college boy and burned her glare into Haley. "But I'm not an invalid y'know? I can drive myself thank you very much."

"She was sprained pretty badly." Haley directed towards Colin, ignoring Brooke's outburst. "Don't you think she needs to stay off that ankle for um..a while?"

"Don't talk about me like I'm not in the room, _backstabber." _Brooke snapped, making Colin look furtively between the two. "And I'll be fine, right Colin?" she asked sweetly.

"Uh...well." He paused and he winced as he felt both girl's eyes burning on him. He didn't know what was going on, but he could feel some serious tension between the two girls and he felt as if his answer would prove one of them right. Give them a victory over the other of some sorts. "Actually, you _should_ stay off it for a while. A couple of hours max."

"Okay then!" Haley smiled, that infuriating See-I-Told-You-So smile and Brooke willed herself not to reach over and smack it off her face. "Stay put Brooke and I'll be back."

"I don't think so!" Brooke hissed. "I'm not going anywhere with _you. _Get Bevin or Theresa, they did come with me after all."

"They umm..left." Haley blinked innocently. "With Rachel." Turning back to Colin, she smiled and asked. "Keep an eye on her for me please? I'll be back in just a couple of minutes."

"Thanks a lot!" Brooke fumed, turning her rage to an unsuspecting Colin. "I was wrong about you Doctor College boy. Or should I just say College boy? "Hopping off the bed, Colin tried to protest but Brooke wasn't done yet. "Because even an _idiot_ can _see_ that I'm fine and I don't need that..that lying backstabber to take me home."

Who did Haley think she was anyway? Did she really think that just because she'd taken her to get some help for her sprained ankle that things would immediately be okay between them again?

Stopping for a moment, her hands searched around her cheerleading jacket, and she smiled triumphantly when she felt the pair of keys there. Thank god, she had pocketed them.

As she looked to find the nearest exit, her smile widened as she spotted an obviously pissed off Lucas Scott heading towards her.

Perfect.

Pretending not to see the blonde, Brooke took a few steps and faltered, almost slumping down to the floor before she heard the sounds of quickening steps and felt a pair of strong arms rush to catch her.

"Are you all-right?"

Looking up innocently into his concerned eyes, Brooke winced and shook her head. "No. Oh, gosh." She whimpered in pretend pain as she threw an arm around his shoulder, letting his strong grasp on her waist hold her up. "I thought I'd be able to walk out of here fine. But Colin did warn me about staying off it for a couple of hours..."

"Who's Colin?"

"The rival's team doctor's assistant..." Trailing off, Brooke shook her head and winced again as they slowly started to make their way towards the exit. "I uh...oh gosh and everyone's left and I don't know how I'm going to get home."

"Why don't you wait here?" Lucas suggested. "I'll go look for Peyton and you can ride with us. Whitey kicked me off the bus and I'm sure Peyton won't mind." He hesitated slightly. "The only thing is...well she came with Haley and I know things between the two of you are...well not right."

Rolling her eyes, Brooke flinched at the thought of spending an unnecessary moment with her ex-best friend. "Her and Peyton left." She came up with quickly.

"What?" Lucas's brow furrowed. "But I just saw Peyton...and I asked her to wait for me. I don't-"

"I'm sorry Lucas." Brooke smiled innocently at him, fishing out her keys and dangling them. "Looks like it's just you and me."

He looked around him briefly, before he nodded and accepted her keys. She grinned widely, but quickly erased it to replace it with a pout. Looking down at her..._sprained_ ankle, she winced. "Oh...I hate to ask you this but.."

Looking down at her, Lucas only gave her a friendly smile and hoisted his gym bag over his shoulders, before he swooped down and gently picked her up in his arms as he took them towards the nearest exit.

* * *

To say that Nathan Scott was angry was putting it mildly. He was _furious _and as he slammed the locker room door behind him with such force, it seemed the building shook. How the hell was he supposed to get home now? Whitey had made it perfectly clear that neither he or Lucas were allowed back on that bus. His options were pretty limited and he fished around his bag for his cell phone. He had no choice, he was going to have to do some serious groveling if he expected to get home. There was no way in hell he was walking and he didn't have his wallet on him.

When Brooke's phone went straight to voice-mail, he slammed it shut angrily and stormed out of the school.

As soon as he did, he stopped in his tracks and his veins turned ice-cold. He caught the sight of Lucas carrying Brooke.._his_ Brooke bridal-style towards her car. Before he could even react, Lucas had already jumped into the driver's seat and had taken off.

Clenching his jaw, Nathan tried Brooke's cell one more time. He didn't know what the hell was going on but all he could think of was the way she had looked up sweetly at Lucas back in the gym and has asked him for help.

She had some serious explaining to do.

When again it went straight to voice-mail, he fought the urge to throw his cell on the ground and watch it shatter.

Instead, he scrolled down his contacts and took in a deep breath to control the fury building up in his chest. "Where are you?"

* * *

Looking down quickly at her watch, Peyton blew a puff of annoyance as she looked about the almost empty parking lot. She wondered once again what the hell had happened to Lucas, as she had promised to wait for her idiotic best friend, since he had managed to get himself get kicked out of not only the game, but the team's bus.

"What a night huh?"

Looking up, Peyton managed a smile as she saw Haley approaching her. "You could say that." Looking behind her expectantly, she frowned as she realized she was alone. "Where's Lucas?"

Haley shrugged as she threw her gym bag into Peyton's backseat. "He found another ride apparently." At Peyton's questioning look, she elaborated. "He left with Brooke. Of all people."

Peyton stared at her perplexed,"What?"

"Um yeah. I left her with Colin.." at Peyton's questioning glance, she waved her hand. "The other school's assistant doctor. Anyways, I left her to get our stuff so y'know I could drive her back, with sprained ankle and all. But I get back and she's not there and Colin tells me he saw her leave with the blonde guy that got into a fight and..." she paused, and she blinked rapidly. "If you can believe it."

Glancing briefly at her, Peyton nodded as she proceeded to jump into the driver's seat. "Never would've thought...but yeah."

"I can't believe _both_ Lucas and Nathan got kicked off the game..."

"Well, Nathan's the one who started it." Peyton replied. "He's a jackass and..well Lucas is not..I mean Nathan's always provoking him."

"Maybe you're right. But...Nathan's well...he's really threatened by Lucas y'know? That's how he works. He reacts, and does stupid things.."

"That's an understatement." Peyton cut her off, shaking her head as she pulled into the nearest highway. "And that's where the jackass part kicks in. He does or says thing and he never takes into consideration how it's going to affect the other person."

Pausing, Haley shot her a funny look. "Do you...like him?"

"Who? Lucas?" Peyton cringed and she shook her head firmly. "No. Gosh, how many times do I have to answer this? We're just friends."

"Well, I hope so." Haley smiled. "But I actually meant Nathan."

Peyton didn't answer for a moment as her hands gripped the steering wheel fiercely. She refused to look at Haley as she answered, "No. I don't."

"Really?" she shot her a dubious look. "Well, I think _he_ likes_ you_."

"I don't like him. At all and..what?"

Sighing, Haley ran her hand through her blonde locks as she stared at the passing scenery. "You didn't answer my question."

Peyton shook her head. "What does it matter?"

"Because of the whole rivalry thing he's got going on with Lucas?"

"Exactly. I mean, it'd be incredibly disloyal. Plus, even if hypothetically I _did_ like him…it would never work."

"Why not?"

"We're so…different. And he's a jackass. Not to mention a cheater."

"Maybe, but he obviously cares about you."

"How can you even tell?"

"Nathan's got a soft side, a vulnerable side that he never shows to anyone. Brooke, Jake and I…well we grew up with him, so we know him better than he wants us to and we've seen that side of him. You on the other hand, haven't known him that long and already from what you've told me, he's revealed that side to you whether he wanted to or not. He talks to you and tells you things. Things he usually keeps hidden deep inside. And I…well I think that speaks volumes on the way he feels about you."

Haley looks over at her. She's fidgeting with the steering wheel and she's looking intently at the road ahead of her, though her mind is obviously somewhere else, she decides it's not her place to pry and changes the subject, knowing that she shouldn't even be pushing it.

"Dan's a great father huh?

Peyton scoffed, "To which one?"

"Yeah." Haley chuckled lightly. "That's screwed up don't you think?"

"Lucas… he's over it."

"Unlike Nathan." Haley responded softly. "I feel for him sometimes. I've seen how Dan treats him. Nathan…he acts like he doesn't care, but I just know him y'know?" she smiles "Does he ever talk to you about that?"

"Why would he?"

"Well, I know you guys kinda talk and I just wondered. If he ever opened up to you about that."

It seemed like forever before the curly blonde answered. "He's made jokes about it." she finally admitted. "But…I guess…I can tell he doesn't really find it funny."

Peyton falls silent and her mind flashes back to that moment in the gym when she first caught glimpse of the sad little boy Nathan tries to hide

"I'm glad he sort of talks to you about it." Haley finally spoke up, breaking through whatever thought was running through the other blonde's head. "He needs that. And I think it's kinda sweet."

Peyton looks over at her and kinda smiles, "Yeah, I somehow doubt a certain someone will find that _sweet._"

Haley shrugs "Maybe not." She admits "But so what? You shouldn't care."

"Says the ex-girlfriend's best friend."

Haley stays quiet for a moment then laughs, "This whole thing is not going to end well is it? Talk about a tangled web huh?"

Peyton looks over at her and they laughed

Oh, if only they really knew just how tangled things would soon become.

* * *

"Oh! Here it is." Brooke exclaimed, pulling a CD that she'd been searching for and holding it triumphantly before slipping it into her stereo. "Better, don't ya think?"

Lucas tried not to frown as he felt Brooke's arm snake around his shoulder. Lady Gaga's Bad Romance bounced around them and he tried to smile at her, but he couldn't help but feel that the whole situation was strange and just...wrong. How had he ended up driving back with his half-brother's ex-girlfriend...not to mention the girl of his dreams estranged best friend?

He sneaked a quick glance at her. She was slinked over her side and she was singing sofly along the lyrics and he couldn't help but smile. She looked so...carefree and he couldn't help but wonder if she was on her way to being okay. Yes, he didn't know her very well, and she'd always been sort of...obnoxious and maybe a bit cruel towards him but he didn't want to hold that against her. She _was_ dating Nathan Scott before and he knew he couldn't expect less from his half-brother's girlfriend at the time.

The rest of the car ride wasn't as uncomfortable as he thought it would be and he even found himself singing along with her, to which she turned and grinned at him happily.

_I want your loving and I want your revenge. You and me could write a bad romance...ohhh ooohh ohhh._

Before they knew it, he was at the front of his house and he turned to thank her, only to feel shock course through his entire being as her lips pressed against his very briefly.


	26. Chapter 26

It took a second for Lucas's mind to clue in to the fact that the soft lips that were pressed against his, were not those of the girl he spent day in and day out thinking about, the one that he went to sleep dreaming about. But rather, the girl who had spent the past year and a half ignoring his existence or sneering at him, making spiteful comments here and there. The very recent ex-girlfriend of one hated half-brother and the best friend to the angel he spent hours writing about. Brooke Davis. Captain of the cheerleading squad, president of the student body..and all around the most popular and beautiful girl in THH. It was wrong. It was so wrong to be kissing her, even though he hadn't initiated it. All these thought ran through his head, but the one that persisted was that in a strange, almost surreal way...it felt kinda nice.

He felt her arm snake around his neck as she shifted position to land half on his lap and that's when he was jolted out of the stupor he'd fallen into and he pulled back.

"Brooke, no." He took a deep breath. "What was..that?"

"Didn't think I'd have to explain it to you gorgeous." She teased, reaching over to him again. She frowned when he slipped back, putting some distance between them. "What? Tell me that didn't feel good."

"I uh..it did." He admitted, running his fingers through his hair. "And that's the problem. It shouldn't feel good, because well there's this girl and-"

"You have a girlfriend?"

He thought about it. "Well, no. Not per say. I mean it's not official or anything, but I...I really like her."

"Well, if it's not official, then what's the problem?" She closed the space between them again. "I'm not jealous." she whispered in his ear, pulling back to smile at him seductively.

Placing his hands lightly on her shoulders, he looked into her eyes. "You know, Brooke, you don't have to act like this."

"I know that." She looked down briefly, before glancing up at him with a genuine smile. "But you're the first guy to ever say it." She placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "You do your thing and, um, try to resist. It's actually kind of cute."

"Are you going to be all-right to drive home? I'd invite you in, but I'm-"

"I'll be fine." She responded sweetly, "And I understand. Don't worry about it."

"Okay." he exhaled as he slipped out of the driver's seat. "Well, thanks for the ride and I'll um see you around Brooke."

"I'll take that as a promise." She winked at him, and waved as she saw him head towards the front door. She sat there for several minutes, smiling to herself before she revved up the engine again and left his house behind.

* * *

Back at Tim's house, the music was blasting loudly, and there were already intoxicated teenagers strewn all over the living room and kitchen and some were already spilling out into the driveway. And it was only half-past ten.

Which was why, Nathan kept on looking around him in frustration. He'd been there for a good 20 minutes, and still there was no sign of his ex-girlfriend anywhere. She should've been there already, as she had gotten a head start on her way back from Bear Creek. He knew her, and he knew there was no way she would've opted to skip out on the party and head home. Which only meant that she was somewhere...with Lucas. Clenching his jaw, he stopped any sort of image of the two of them together..doing anything from flooding his mind. Grabbing the first cup full of beer that passed his way, he emptied it's contents quickly and made his way outside.

He'd only taken a few steps outside, when he noticed her familiar VW pull up into the driveway. She hadn't seen him yet, so he took this as his opportunity to intercept her before she could make her way inside, and therefore proceed to avoid him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Brooke?" he demanded, grabbing her arm and swinging her around to face him, and effectively trapping her between him and her car.

Jumping up startled, she glared at him."What does it look like, _Natie_?" She threw back haughtily, knowing he hated to be called that. "I'm here to have a good time. Just like everyone else. Now, do you mind?" She pushed him back slightly, but he didn't budge.

"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it." He muttered through gritted teeth.

"Then elaborate please." She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "And step back a little will you? You're smothering me."

"Quit bull-shitting me." He snapped, his knuckles turning white from the force he was using to rest his hands on her car's door frame. "What the fuck were you doing with Lucas tonight?"

"Oh, _that_." She blinked up at him innocently, cocking her head to one side. The smile on her lips was anything but sweet and it was almost malicious. "I think it's a little something called revenge." Her tone was pure ice, and it was laced with something almost like triumph. "I mean you screwed around with _my _worst enemy. So I say, I can have a little fun screwing around with _yours. _It's only fair._"_

"Damn it Brooke!" He hissed out, slamming his hands on her car angrily. But she didn't even flinch. "Don't you even dare."

"_Excuse _me? Let me remind you, that you-"

Looping an arm around her waist tightly, he brought her body flush against his fiercely. "If you do this..." He leaned in closer to her, his breath hot and angry against her ear. "I'll make sure you regret it."

Her heart thumping loudly in her chest, she pulled back to look at him. The look on his face made a cold chill go down her spine. "What are you threatening me now?"

"I'm just warning you. If you touch that _bastard_...there won't be any going back. You and me will be done with forever."

Her mind flashed back to the moment outside Lucas's house and she wanted to throw that in his face desperately, but the sudden lump in her throat prevented her from doing so. Taking a deep breath, she mustered all her strenght and she pushed him hard, this time able to release from his strong hold. "We already are."

"I mean it Brooke."

"And so do I!" She screamed at him, absolutely pissed at his audacity. "Who the hell do you think you are Nathan? You and me, we are _done_ and I can do whatever and whoever I want!"

"You can't just decide to go and try to screw that bastard just to get back at me!" He exploded. "It doesn't work like that okay?"

"Oh, yeah?" she peered up at him, her gaze almost taunting. "Well, I'd like to see you try and stop me."

Closing his eyes, he stood there, trying to gain control of his building rage. "Why do you have to be such a bitch, Brooke?"

Her eyes flashed in fury, but before she could open her mouth to rebuke that, a flash of red and black flashed in front of her and she blinked for several seconds, before she realized it was Rachel, in an all too revealing black dress, stepping in between her and Nathan.

"I've been looking all over for you Sexy." She purred, handing Nathan his varsity jacket. "You forgot this in the back of my car." She leaned up to plant a kiss on his cheek and then she turned and swept her gaze over Brooke, flashing her a condescending smirk before she flounced off.

It took several seconds for the brunette to regain her composture, but when she did she flew off the handle. "Are you fucking kidding me right now?"

"Brooke no wait." He chased after her and grabbed her hand, swinging her back around. " It's not-"

"Not what? Not like that?" She fumed, shaking him off. "No, don't even bother. It shouldn't even surprise me, coming from you. I don't want to know and I just..I don't care! Do what the fuck you want Nathan. Screw whatever skank you want. I'm _done_."

"Fuck!" He turned around and slammed his hand on the nearest thing in complete frustration. He recognized it as Brad's silver Honda, but he couldn't bring himself to care. It had felt good to release the mounting frustration and anger, if even for just a second.

"Wow, I guess beating up your brother wasn't enough, now you have to go messing up private property too huh?"

Ignoring the pain radiating from his fist, he clenched his jaw as he turned and watched the curly blonde walk up the driveway with Haley in tow. "Why don't you keep your comments to yourself huh Sawyer?" He suggested icily. "I'm not in the mood for your _lovely_ humor."

"Always the pleasant one aren't you Scott." She shot back, rolling her eyes. She didn't give him a chance to respond and she turned to Haley. "I'm going inside to look for Tyler. You coming?"

"Uh...yeah." She caught the glare Nathan threw at Peyton at that comment. "Just give me a second okay?"

"Sure." She shrugged, and she walked past them, purposely brushing past Nathan. "Excuse you."

Shaking his head, he smirked in slight amusement and he turned back to Haley who was fidgeting nervously.

"Are you okay?" She motioned towards his hand, watching him wince in pain. "Do you need to get-"

"Cut the pseudo concern Haley." He rolled his eyes, rubbing his pulsating fist with his other hand. "We both know it's bull-shit."

"It's not." She rebuked gently, grabbing his arm to inspect his hand. "What set you off?"

Glaring at her, he pulled back harshly. "What is this? You want to have a heart to heart about my _feelings?"_ He scoffed. "Take your fake concern somewhere else."

"No, Nathan wait." She reached for his arm, and stopped him. "Hear me out please? I miss you Nathan and I hate that you're so mad at me and-"

"That's your own undoing Haley." He barked, refusing to let her soft pleading gaze penetrate through his anger. "You're the one who fucked up."

"I know that okay? I know I should've never blackmailed you into leaving Lucas alone. I feel terrible about that Nathan! It cost me your friendship and it was never my business in the first place. I should've never meddled and just left it alone."

"Yeah, you never should've." He shot back. Fuck it, it looks like he was going to have this conversation. "And I know you regard yourself with a moral compass higher than the rest of us, but damn it at least own up to what you did!"

"What-" She looked up at him, before it clicked in her head what he was accusing her off. "I didn't even know that you _slept _with Rachel, and even if it was me that told her, you would have no _right_ to be mad at me for that! That was your own doing and Brooke didn't deserve that. Cheating is cheating, and what you did was low, so stop laying the blame on me for what _you_ did! I feel awful for the way I handled the whole Lucas situation and I regret it with everything because it cost me my two best friends, but the whole thing with Rachel? I'm _not_ letting you pin that on me."

It seemed like he glared at her for what seemed like hours, though it was only really seconds before he tore his gaze away from hers. "Fuck this." He muttered, moving away from her and heading towards the house. Because right now? He needed another drink and there was only so much of Haley's self-righteousness that he could take. The evening had already started off in a fucked up note, and he wasn't about to let her ruin it even further.

Watching him leave, Haley shook her head and she slinked back against one of the cars in support. She was tired of this back and forth, feeling like she wasn't getting anywhere with either Nathan or Brooke. She had already owned up to her mistakes, and she kept telling herself that they both just needed time. But she missed them. And as she stared up at the stars, she blinked back the tears as she realized that maybe things were never going to be the same ever again between the three of them.

* * *

Walking in quietly towards his room, Lucas flicked on the light and he pulled back startled as he found his mom sitting on his bed, the house phone gripped tightly in her hand.

"Jeez Mom. You scared me."

"_Again_ Lucas?" She stood up, ignoring his comment. "What is the matter with you?"

Flinching, he looked down towards the phone in her grasp. He should've known that Whitey was going to call her to inform her of the events. "It's not-"

"Your fault right?" She finished for him, watching as he let his gym bag fall to the floor. "What's going on with you Lucas. This is not like you."

"I-I'm sorry." He finally replied, not really knowing what else to say. What _could_ he say? "It won't happen again."

Studying him silently, she tried to figure out what was really going on. She knew he and Nathan didn't have the best of relationships...or any at all. But engaging in fights? That was not like him at all and she wished that he would tell her what was really going on.

"You know that this means an extra week added to your punishment." She finally responded, an almost designated tone to her voice. "Until-"

Snapping his head back up, he took in a sharp breath. "No mom wait. Next week is homecoming."

"I'm sorry Lucas, but every action has a consequence and-"

"But you can't!" he interrupted her and he winced at the look she gave him. "Please...tomorrow was my first date with Haley and I'm grounded and sure she understands but next week is Homecoming and I.." pausing, he scratched the back of his head. "I already bought the tickets." he lied.

Letting out a sigh, she finally decided on. "We'll see."

Watching her leave, he flopped down on the bed as the entire night flashed in his mind. Haley and Felix, Nathan...Peyton...and last of all the kiss with Brooke.

The last one left him completely confused, and even know he still didn't know how it had gotten to that point. Just last week, she'd hardly even glanced at him. Closing his eyes, he let out a deep breath and pushed all that away, deciding to let his mind rest, at least for the next couple of hours and before he knew it, he was sound asleep.

* * *

Haley was bored out of her mind, seeing as though as soon as they'd gotten there Tyler had attached himself to Peyton's side and she really didn't want to intrude on their 'semi-non-date.' Brooke and Nathan weren't still speaking to her and she hadn't even seen Jake since she arrived. Although she got along with everyone else, she wasn't really in a social mood tonight. She wished that Lucas was there, so that they could talk. Thinking of him, and the fact that he had left with Brooke of all people left a strange feeling in her chest, and the sudden urge to wash it away with alcohol surprised her and before she knew it, she was in the kitchen.

Getting there, she started laughing as she caught sight of Felix and Vegas over by one of the kegs. They were fumbling with a beer bong and an already drunk Tim. A small crowd was around them egging them on. Grabbing a bottle of Jack Daniels, Felix proceeded to pour it quickly down the tube, cheering alonside everyone else as the dim-headed basketball player drank from it greedily.

Catching her amused gaze, Felix gave the bottle to Vegas and scooped up two cups filled to the brim with beer and headed towards her. Handing one to her, he grinned. "Hey you."

"Hey." She took a quick sip and motioned towards him. "Celebrating?"

Knowing she was jokingly referring to his hard-earned grade, he shrugged, "You could say that." He drank the entire content in one huge gulp and shot her another grin as he set the now empty cup on the counter. "But that's it for me tonight."

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "Well that's a first, turning over a new leaf?", she asked teasingly.

He looked over at her, and gave her a look so deep and just so...unlike him, that it made her freeze on the spot.

"Something like that." His voice was soft, as his eyes held hers. "You see, last time, I got drunk I ruined this really amazing girl's night by acting like a total jackass." He leaned over on an impulse and brushed his lips over her cheek lightly. "And I don't plan on making that same mistake again."

Completely startled, she didn't know what to say and only smiled at him in understanding. Watching him leave, she wished she knew the strange feeling that had just passed between them and why it left her really confused. Deciding not to dwell on it, she shook it off and drank the rest of her drink, hoping the effects of the alcohol would reach her quick...so she didn't have to think so much and analyze things that didn't need to be analyzed.

* * *

Everyone else was already gathered around the kitchen table and counter by the time Tyler and Peyton got there. Everyone else, meaning the cheerleading squad and basketball team, and then some of course. It looked like it was that time of the night, when they were all good and buzzed and wanted to partake in what was now a favorite to them...I never. Truthfully, that was the last thing Peyton wanted to do. She'd surprised herself and she'd actually been having a decent time with Tyler. She had been hesitant at first, when she agreed to their 'non-date' date. She had pre-judged him just from knowing who his friends were, but she'd been wrong. He'd been really sweet and attentive all night, asking her about herself instead of going on and on about who he was, like she'd assumed he would be doing. He'd brought her drinks and had insisted that he just wanted to get to know her.

They had been out by the living room, playing a video game, which to his surprise she'd been beating him at, when Bevin had all but dragged them towards the kitchen. He'd shot her an apologetic glance and she'd shrugged and just smiled and she didn't even complain when he'd interlaced their hands as they trailed after Bevin.

"About time you got here man!" Tim slurred, stumbling a bit and Peyton rolled her eyes. "Whoa, damn you were right, Blondie is hot!"

Tyler shot her an embarrased smile and she just shook her head, avoiding Nathan's penetrating stare.

"Shut up Tim." Nathan rolled his eyes, leaning back on his chair. Turning towards Theresa, he commented a little bored. "All-right let's get this over with it."

It started out simple enough and after the first few lame go-arounds, Rachel, being the bitch she was decided that she'd had enough. Time to shake things up a little bit.

"My turn!" She drawled, picking up her drink and surveying the scene around her. Nathan, Tim, Bevin, Theresa, Vegas, Bradley and Ashley all sat around the table. Tyler and Peyton were off on one side of the counter with Jake, Brooke, Felix and Haley over by the other end.

"Let's see..." She ran her tongue over her bottom lip and she smirked as she looked over at Peyton. "How about I've never..." Pausing for effect, her eyes sparkled mischeviously. "...kissed Nathan Scott."

"Oh, c'mon that is so lame Rach!" Tim complained, as the other guys rolled their eyes in agreement. Brooke on the other hand didn't find it as amusing as the redhead. Glaring over at her, she knew exactly what she was trying to do. The bitch wanted to rub it in her face! She gritted her teeth as she lifted up her cup and kept her gaze trained on her. She refused to give her the satisfaction, but tried not to grimace as she saw Bevin, Theresa and Ashley raise their cups to their lips as well.

Peyton turned to Rachel with a furious glaze in her deep green eyes. She couldn't believe she was really going to take it there, and the bitch seemed to enjoy every second of it. Gripping her cup in her hands tightly, she silently fumed as she decided wether or not to give in to her obvious bait. She realized that if she let it slide, Rachel would find some way to out her anyways and she took in a deep breath, silently thanking her lucky stars that Lucas was not there for this (though she didn't doubt that he would hear of it eventually, this _was_ Tree Hill after all and this was sure to be gossip for Monday morning.)

Meeting Nathan's eyes briefly, she tried to ignore the way he was suddenly looking at her and she brought the cup to her lips. Closing her eyes, she sipped from it, hoping that no one would even take notice. But even she knows that won't happen.

A sudden quiet seemed to fall over them all and as Peyton opened her eyes, she's met with the several perplexed glances directed at her. She can feel Tyler and Brooke, and even Haley's burning gaze on her and she tries to ignore it.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Brooke's angry voice cut through the silence as she tears her gaze from Peyton to Nathan. "Are you like seriously trying to win award for man whore of the year or something?" She stalked over to him and he stood up, facing her. "What are you trying to do, screw my entire squad?" She pushed him back furiously, not caring in the least that she was now making a scene. "I mean was Rachel not enough for you? Oh, and let me not forget that you also hooked up with Bevin after the sparkle classic and even Theresa freshman year, the first time we broke up! But you couldn't stop there huh? You _had_ to go after Peyton too? Who's next? Haley?"

Grasping her hands, so she wouldn't hit him anymore, he ignored her comments. "Well, what about you huh?" He responded heatedly. "You're always flirting with the rest of the guys on the team, what makes me think you haven't screwed around with them behind my back?"

"How dare you-"

"What about last year when I caught you with Bradley?" He interrupted her angrily. "And now you're trying to go after Lucas just to get back at me." He spat, his blue eyes flashing just as angrily as her hazel ones. "Don't deny it." He warned her, as she saw her open her mouth in protest."I _know_ you and you know what? I wouldn't even be surprised if you added Jake to that list too! I mean, that would really be a slap to the face right? You'd _really_ be getting even with me then. My brother and my best friend?"

"I think you mean _ex_-best friend." Brooke shot back acidly. "Let me remind you, that you cut him out of your life a couple of years ago."

"And why do you think that is?"

"I don't know. Maybe because you're a jerk!" She yelled back. Pulling away from his grasp, she shoved past him and stormed out of the kitchen, with him following close behind.

"Are you happy now?" Peyton turned her attention to the smug redhead, who only smirked at her in return. Slamming her drink down on the counter, Peyton too stepped away from them.

* * *

"You are seriously _not_ following me!" Brooke fumed as she bolted out the back door, her steps burning a trail of anger and frustration. She didn't care in the least that everyone was staring after them. "I can't believe you even the nerve to-"

"Will you just stop for a second?" He shouted, grabbing her arm and whirling her around.

"Did you sleep with her?"

"No, what the hell Brooke?" He ran his fingers through his short dark locks in frustration. "Why the hell are you even mad at me for? It's not like I cheated on you or anything!"

"When?"

"What?"

"Damn it Nathan, I want to know okay? When did you kiss her?"

"What does it even matter?"

"It matters plenty!" She yelled, crossing her arms in front of her. "Why won't you just tell me?"

Dropping his head, he clenched his jaw and he was silent for several seconds. He knew she wasn't going to just let that go, so he uttered quietly. "Last week."

Her mouth falling open, Brooke started shaking her head in disbelief, sudden tears floooding her eyes. "Last week..." her voice dropped down to a whisper. "...when you were still trying to get back with _me_?"

"Look, it's not-"

"Not what Nate?" She cut him off, her tone raising several octaves. "Not what I think? Why did you do it? Do you.." She paused, and her breath suddenly caught in her lungs. "Do you like her or something?"

He looked away from her for a second to gather his thoughts. He didn't even know if he could put it into words, and explain to her what was going on with him and Peyton. Because even _he_ didn't really know. The only thing he did know, the only thing he was certain of was how much he loved the girl in front of him. He looked back at her and fell into her gaze, amazed like always at how beautiful she was. Even when she was angry. _Especially_ when she was angry.

"It was just a kiss Brooke."

"A kiss is _never _just a kiss." Her lips trembled slightly as she looked up at him. "Sometimes it changes everything."

He looked back up and he stared at her, and the hurt..and almost uncertainty in her eyes was almost more than he could take. He took a deep breath, and he reached out, intertwining her right hand with his left one, as to prevent her from fleeing. "I can't really tell you why I kissed Peyton." He admitted, maybe for the first time. "Maybe there's been...a weird sort of attraction there but..it's not like how it is with you and me." Seeing the flash of vulnerability in her brown eyes, he wrapped his arms around her as a sign. "I love _you_ Brooke. You and only you...and it's going to be like that forever because I can't imagine ever feeling _this_ for anyone ever." Watching her look away from him, he took a deep breath and his grip on her tightened. "Don't ever forget that, please."

Pushing away from him angrily, she shoved him. "Are you serious right now? I can't even believe you have the nerve! Is your little love confession supposed to mean anything to me? Is it supposed to change anything?"

Nathan ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, "What else do you want from me? I've apologized a thousand times! What else do I need to do to make things right?"

"You can apologize a million times but it's never going to be enough! It's not going to change anything!" She let out tearily. "It's never going to be all right between us ever again Nathan." She blinked back the unexpected tears and turned away from him, "Now please just leave me alone." She whispered.

His face softened and he sighed, reaching out for her once more. "I wish that I could Brooke. But I can't. I need you." When her stance remained cold, he grew angry. "You've been brushing me off all week and refused to let me explain. And I understand. But I don't want Rachel okay? Or Peyton! I want you! And if I didn't want you I wouldn't keep on trying to get you back. I would have given up and moved on the next thing. But I didn't. Because I want to be with you Brooke and I'm sorry for what I did. I was angry at you and I was confused and I-I know that's not an excuse. But it's the truth."

When she didn't answer him, he turned her to him. "Brooke..."

"Y'know what?" She snapped, wheeling around. "I'm going to forgive you. I am. I'm going to forgive myself for ever being so stupid to actually love you. But I'm also going to forget. Forget you ever existed and forget you ever meant everything to me." She could barely contain her tears but she forced herself to ignore the pain flashing across the blue dephts she had loved for so long. "So really Nathan, I just want you to-"

Her protest was lost in her mouth as he suddenly grabbed her and pulled her flush against him, his lips fusing with hers hotly. Whatever resolve she had, dissapeared quickly as he pulled her against him. A gasp escapes her lips and before she knows it she's winding her arms around his neck to balance herself, and his hands are everywhere as his mouth explores hers hungrily, almost desperately.

"Brooke.." he pulled back slightly, only to graze his lips over her neck. "I've missed this...I've missed _you_."

**Again, I hate to break up a game night/party into several chapters but I just had to. I hope you guys like this chapter and also as a fair warning, next chapter will take this story in a totally new direction and introduce new characters..or maybe old. Any guesses? Past loves...hmm. Keep reading and remember that reviews are love. **


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've actually been on medical leave from work and school for the past month, but I'm way better now. Also, I've got the next five chapters mapped out so it shouldn't take me as long to update on those either. I hope you guys like this chapter and remember reviews would make my day!**

When Brooke didn't immediately pull away, Nathan instinctively pulled her closer to him, taking that as a sign. He reached up and tangled his hands in the silky strands of her hair. He touched the tip of his tongue to her lips, gently prodding them open, wanting to taste the warmth of her mouth, wanting to get lost in her like he'd done so many times before.

Without any protest, she opened her mouth easily under his, so desperate to give him whatever he needed. What _she_ so desperately wanted. She ran her hands tenderly through his hair, reassuring him of her own need of this, of _him. _

He broke away from her breathing heavily and soon began an assault of kisses on every inch of her face before moving on to her neck.

Sighing, she offered her neck to him, ignoring the voice in the back of her mind telling her this was the worst possible thing she could do. It felt so right though...and she kept telling herself it was for him and not for her. He needed that closure. It wasn't for her at all. She knew they were over and she completely ignored the fact that she wanted this almost as much as he did.

Getting no protest on her part, he slipped a hand under her top, his lips claiming hers again in a desperate kiss. She wound an arm around his neck, pulling herself as close to him as she could get. The cheap beer on his tongue was bittersweet, but also very familiar. His hands on her were cold as he touched her, but even so, they filled her with warmth she'd never explain and refused to admit she'd missed. Her heart was beating against her ribcage and with it, it carried the desire and love that his kiss infused through every inch of her body.

His lips brushed against her ear, his voice husky and deep with desire and affection. "I love you Brooke. I need you."

Pulling back from her slightly, he suddenly turned her around and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Pressing her against him, she gasped as she felt his growing need against her backside. He brushed her hair to the side as his perfect lips swept across her jaw line and down her neck slowly, as if wanting to memorize her. She closed her eyes and leaned back, allowing him more access. His swift, deft hands traveled slowly, painfully down her side, and they tickled her midriff, before going inside her top and up towards her breasts.

"Nathan...stop." She begged, but it came across more like a whisper.

He ignored her weak protest and as he nuzzled her neck, his hands crept up even further and they were cupping her breasts. He raised his lips and nipped at her earlobe, briefly wondering if she'd always felt this good, tasted this sweet.

Wanting to desperately gain control, she pushed at his hands despite her growing desire. "Nathan, I mean it." She groaned as his fingertips reached her peaks. "Stop. Please."

When again he ignored her request, and as his hands crept up further up her shirt, massaging her, she closed her eyes as her vision swam around her. She again tried to fight against her growing desire for him, her mind trying desperately to find the words of protest against the growing haze of pleasure.

It wasn't till she felt his hands leave her shirt and slowly travel to her waist and down the button of her jean skirt that it finally hit her. Opening up her eyes as if in shock and like a cold bucket of water, she realized what she was doing. What she was letting him do. He was feeling her up in the backyard of Tim's house in the middle of a party, and while there was nobody around, she couldn't believe she had let him get this far. _I can't do this anymore. _

Pushing his hands away, she wheeled on him and her hand connected with his cheek harshly.

Pulling back a little stunned, his hand automatically went up to his cheek. "Brooke-"

"No you son of a bitch!"She hissed out, her hazel eyes burning angrily. "How _dare_ you even..even kiss me? How many times have I told you that I want absolutely nothing to do with you?"

Rubbing his hand across his already reddened cheek, he growled out. "You kissed me back!"

"You-you forced yourself on me!" She shot back weakly, taking a step back as he advanced towards her again. "Please, stop." She whispered, taking another step back, hating how weak she was in front of him. "Don't come near me again Nathan. I mean it. I'm done."

"You don't mean it." He replied confidently, reaching out for her once more. "Why do you keep doing this song and dance with me Brooke? You say you hate me, that you're done, but then you get mad when Rachel even so much as looks at me and what about earlier? With Peyton?"

"Well, did you think any of that was going to make me happy? You're my _ex_ and it hasn't even been that long so of course it's going to upset me!"

"And you let me kiss you!" He pointed out. "Not once, but twice already. You still love me. I know you do." His other arm came around to circle her waist fully and he breathed in relief when she didn't pull away. "I've told you many times that I screwed up. I take full responsibility for what I did, but if you'll just let me...I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I promise."

Her eyes were downcast and she didn't say anything. He reached up a hand to her chin and lifted it slightly so that she could look at him in the eyes. "Please baby." His tone was softer than usual and it was packed with so much emotion. "Let's just stop doing this. I need you and I love you. And I know you still love me too, so please Brooke. Just say you forgive me."

Finally she looked up at him, and his heart clenched as he watched her beautiful hazel eyes swim in tears. "You're right. I still love you." She admitted, her voice below a whisper.

That was all it took, and he pulled her towards him in a crushing hug, his head burrowing in her sweet smelling hair. "Oh, thank god Brooke. You have no idea how horrible these past few days have been for me and I promise you that-"

She closed her eyes tightly to weld off the tears and it took every ounce of energy she had in her to push him back. He looked at her confused and she gave him a sad, watery smile. "But it doesn't change the fact that you still cheated on me. It's something I don't think I can ever forgive you for Nate."

"But I-"

"Please let me finish." She pleaded, her voice thick with tears. "Even though I still love you..and a part of me will always love you, I just can't be with you anymore because I don't _trust_ you and I don't think I ever can."

He reached for her hands again, his heart pounding furiously in fear. "Brooke, we can work through this." He implored, gazing into her eyes pleadingly. "We've been through so much, we've known each other all our lives, you can't tell me that you're going to let one mistake...one stupid mistake ruin that."

She was looking away from him and she was silent for a couple of minutes. When she finally looked back at him, her eyes were full of tears, but the thing that scared him was the look on her face. It was calm, almost serene. "You're right we've known each other forever and we've been through so much. What we had together was so beautifully unique and so untouchable and irreplaceable and now-"

"Don't. Don't talk like it's in the past." He cut her off, shaking his head furiously. "We can still have that if you'll just say you forgive me. We can start over and it can be even better than it was."

"It can never be again Nate. We can't go back to that place that was ours alone." She looked up at him then and his heart ached when he saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. "You said you and I were forever but, I guess forever isn't what it used to be is it?"

"Brooke, please if you give me just one more chance, I promise you that I'll do whatever it takes. Just please, I love you and I can't..I won't let you end it like this. I need you."

Closing her eyes at the imploding pain beating in her chest, she slowly extricated herself from his arms. "If you really love me, then you'll let me go."

She turned to walk away, when she felt him grab her arm forcefully and she gasped as he slammed her right up against him.

"Don't do this to me." He whispered, and his voice shook with emotion. "Listen to me, I will _never_ let you go. I love you and you belong with me."

Stunned, she struggled against him as he kissed her harshly. She brought her knee up and kneed him really hard and he let her go, crouching down and gasping for air.

"Brooke, what the hell?" He looked up at her shocked.

"Don't touch me ever again Nathan." She seethed, her entire body trembling as she took a step further towards him. "I _don't_ belong with you."

Wincing, Nathan stood up to his full height and reached for her again. "Brooke, I'm sorry okay? I just can't...I can't let you end us like this. I have to try."

New tears formed behind her eyes. _The last goodbye is the hardest one to say._

"I deserve to move on." Not letting her voice betray her, she shook her head at him. "And y'know what? I deserve better than you."

"Oh, what you mean like Lucas?" He shot back spitefully.

Turning around back to face him, she shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe." Her words held no more anger as she spoke calmly, deliberately. "But he's different..honest, sincere and with a nobility that _you_ never had. All I know is...you're not that guy for me, and maybe you never were."

Her words tore at his heart and it was unlike any pain he'd ever felt before, but they also caused a fury to rise in his chest. "You're only going after him to get back at me. You can try to deny it all you want Brooke, with all this bullshit about him being a good guy, but I know you."

"So what if it was then?" She shot back. "It's none of your business anymore."

"He's never going to want you."

She rolled her eyes, "Oh please, do you really think that by warning me or by going to threaten him to stay away, he won't want to-"

"He's hung up on Haley." He cut her off angrily. "And if you'd been at school the last couple of days or even paid any attention to all that doesn't revolve around _you_, then you'd notice the way they act like a pair of love struck idiots, or how they're making out practically in every corner of the school. It's disgusting actually." He smirked, as he watched her falter at his words. "But then again, why let that stop you? Perfect way to get revenge on Haley too then huh?"

Not waiting for an answer, and really angry at how everything had went down between the two of them, for the first time _he_ was the one to walk away.

* * *

"Hey..." His voice breaks through whatever thoughts were running through her mind and she looks up at him as he approaches her. "You ran out of there pretty fast."

Leaning against her car, Peyton doesn't say anything as she accepts the drink that Tyler offers her. He gives her a slight smile and as they stand there, sipping from their cups, silence envelops.

She's the first one to break it, but even then she can't make herself make eye contact as the words flow out of her mouth. "Did you follow me out here or something?"

He looks into his cup briefly, and then a small chuckle escapes his lips. "Maybe." He finally looks over at her and she catches his gaze. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Why wouldn't I be?" She doesn't hesitate to throw back flippantly.

"Peyton, c'mon..."

"No, don't." She holds up a hand to stop him. "You came out here to make sure I was okay...and I am. Really. It's nothing...so please let's not turn this into something that it's not okay?"

"But you-"

Wheeling on him, the fire in her eyes stopped him and he stared at her. "Yes, we kissed. I kissed your friend, Nathan Scott...and I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it..sooner...tonight. But it's nothing Tyler okay? Let's not make this a big deal, when it's not."

"Do you like him?"

Pausing, she stared at him wide-eyed. "I'm sorry what?"

"There has to be a reason why you kissed him-"

"Consider it a moment of weakness." She cut him off. "Seriously, I told you I didn't want to do this. Let it go." There's an almost pleading tone in her voice, as she looks at him. "Everyone makes mistakes. Consider that mine."

"I don't think it is though." He finally responded after several seconds of awkward silence. "You see, a while back he warned me against going after you. He gave me all this b.s about you and Lucas...but after tonight, maybe..well just maybe it was-"

"What?" She can't hide the annoyance in her voice now. "Maybe it was what?"

"Maybe the reason you kissed him is the same reason he kissed you. And maybe what drew him to you, is the same thing that drew you to him. He hides behind this exterior, in the same way you do."

"You're reading too much into this." she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

He was thoughtful for a minute as he watched her. "You know last year, when I had just joined the team, I was going through a particular bad time with my parents. They ended up divorcing...but...in between all that...and in between the countless parties...Nathan figured it out. And after a particularly bad fight between my parents...he knew. And the next day, he showed up at my house and offered me his house, till it all got sorted out and I never forgot that."

"Where are you going with this?"

"I'm just saying. He's not a bad guy, and liking him wouldn't really be a bad thing. And I wouldn't hold it against you, but it would be nice to know Peyton. I really don't want to get my hopes up or anything."

With a shake of her head, Peyton offered him a smile. "You really are a nice guy aren't you Ty?"

"I'm sorry what?" He threw back at her, liking the way that she shortened his name.

Scoffing, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You and the rest of the guys on the team...it's all about your status. But after tonight, I've figured you out. And deep down, you're really just a nice guy."

"And you're just another girl." He offers, taking a hold of her free hand. "Despite your tough exterior, you're really just looking for your happy ending too."

"Are you analyzing me now?" She shot back in mock anger, but a small smile was on her lips.

He chuckled, and he stared at her for a couple of moments, studying her profile. This girl really was beautiful and there was just something so sweet about her. Something that tugged at his heartstrings and it surprised him because he'd never felt that way about anyone. It felt strangely close to almost affection. He could tell that there were deep issues beneath. Demons that she battled and that made her seem..._real_. So the affection he felt for her was real...not awe or what he'd felt for Haley all throughout the past few years. A longing for the unattainable and untouchable. He felt if anything, the two of them could end up being really good friends.

"C'mon." He smiled at her again, reaching for her hand. "Enough of this heavy stuff. I'm not good at it anyways, but you know what I _am_ good at? Pool."

"Oh, you are so on."

* * *

Standing off to the side watching her, it wasn't something that he was new to. In fact he could pretty much safely say that it felt like something that he'd been doing pretty much all his life. Taking a drink out of his bright red cup, his jaw clenched slightly as he watched her. He knew she was drunk, and it was made even more obvious by the way she was laughing and dancing in abandon with a guy whose name he knew she hadn't even bothered to find out.

"I'm worried about her too."

Slightly startled, Jake managed a brief smile at Haley, as she came to stand next to him. "Yeah, well..."

They were quiet for several minutes, both of them watching her, when Haley's soft tone broke through. "When did he figure it out?"

"I'm sorry?"

Laughing to herself softly at the perplexed look he shot her, Haley stared into her drink before her brown eyes looked up to lock with the one's of her oldest friend. "When did Nathan figure it out?"

"I don't understand..."

"Don't Jake." Haley cut him off with a shake of her head. "Don't try to pretend with me that you don't know what I'm talking about. It's a little insulting actually because I've known you and Nathan all my life and two best friends since they were 5, as close as you two were...they don't just cut each other out the way you two did."

Jake shrugged as he stared ahead of him for what seemed like forever, contemplating his answer. It shouldn't really surprise him how well Haley knew him. She'd always been very intuitive when it came to everyone's feelings as well. It's one of the things that he loved the most about her, her knack of picking up when something was wrong. It's what made her such a wonderful person and friend. After a few moments of silence, he took a drink from his cup and eyed her from his peripheral vision.

"After Cotillion."

She nodded, instantly understanding. "I kinda figured."

"Nate...he uh came over the next day to shoot hoops and just hang out, our usual Sunday routine y'know?" He let out a breath, and it was almost in relief. He'd never talked about his falling out with Nathan and it felt like almost relief to finally speak of it. "We were playing one on one and he just dropped it, casually like it was nothing and the ball must have flown from my hands or I stumbled and I started telling him that Brooke was a special girl and one of our best friends and he better not play with her and next thing I know, he's looking at me with this strange expression on his face and it's in that moment that I think he realized it too."

"Please don't tell me you two went at it to prove who the better suited guy for her was in some macho arm wrestling crap or something?" She asked, half-joking.

Jake cracked a smile, and he let out a small chuckle as he took another drink from his cup. "Nathan just picked up the ball and he tossed it over to me, rather aggressively I might add." He continued, his eyes taking on a faraway look as he reminisced. "He told me that he really liked Brooke, he'd always liked her. More than he ever liked a girl before and that he wasn't letting anything or anyone get in the middle of that. He dropped the ball, and he walked away and that was that."

"That was that huh?" Haley replied softly, leaning against the wall they were propped over. "Doesn't really surprise me, knowing how stubborn and determined Nathan is. It kinda surprises me on your behalf though. I mean the two of you always had like this strong friendship."

"It was never that strong to begin with, if we let a girl get between it."

"So why did you?"

"Because it wasn't just any girl. For either of us."

"So, then why not let Brooke know how you felt?"

Jake let out another breath as he stared down at his cup, before looking back up at Haley. "Because she felt the same way about him. I've known it..you've known it since we were in middle school and it would've just been a lost cause on my part. And believe me, it wasn't easy letting go of my friendship with Nathan but I had to. Because I knew that he would stand by what he said and if he was what Brooke wanted, then she deserved to be happy and my confession would've just complicated things for her and I just didn't want to put her through that. I would never tell her how I felt, if it meant I could continue to be her friend, even if I lost my best friend because of it."

"And look to where it all led the three of you." She commented, scoffing as she took a drink of her own and watched Brooke taking shots with Bevin. "But knowing...seeing the way things turned out for Brooke and Nathan, do you ever wonder what might've happened if you _had_ fought for Brooke and told her how you felt back then?"

"No, I don't." He answered truthfully. "Besides what would be the point in torturing myself with that? I've always believed that things happen for a reason and everything falls into place and if something is meant to be, then it will happen."

"Listen, I've known you, Brooke and Nathan my entire life and you three are my absolute best friends in the world and I love you guys. And even thought Nathan and Brooke are angry with me at the moment, all I'll ever want is for the three of you to be happy, it doesn't matter with whom. But despite Brooke and Nathan's complicated relationship, I know that what they shared..what they _feel_ for each other is love. Real and true love, and I don't want you to get your hopes up and get hurt in the process by th-"

"I know that Haley." He cut her off a little annoyed. "I'm not expecting her to just fall into my arms by playing knight in shining armour. I'm just trying to be there for her, look out for her as her _friend._ I'm not expecting anything in return." Catching sight of Brooke again, he nodded towards her direction. "Which she might need actually need right now."

Glancing to where his gaze was directed, she saw as an extremely drunk Brooke was dragging herself up the stairs with the guy she'd been dancing with. "Okay, you go get her okay? I'll go grab our coats and let me look for Peyton."

"Peyton?"

"I came with her and I don't want her to be looking for me later, anyways hurry! I'll meet you out front in 10."

* * *

Stumbling on the last step, Brooke giggled as her entire being swayed. Grasping on to...what was his name? She giggled again and held on tighter to him as she struggled to keep up with him.

"It's dark in here." She slurred, her hands reaching out for some sort of balance. Suddenly she felt something wet on her lips and it took her a second to remember that she wasn't alone. She clung to him, wanting more than anything not to fall. Her vision was adjusting to the darkness but even then it was swimming and her head felt fuzzy. Giggling again, she called out. "I can't see anything Mark...Mike..no that's not right, what's your name again?"

"That's not important baby." He mumbled against her skin and Brooke's world swayed again as he laid her down on the bed. She tried to sit up but he clambered on top of her, his lips leaving sloppy kisses down her neck and collarbone as his hands ran underneath her shirt skirt.

Brooke stared up straight at the ceiling, feeling sick all of a sudden. "M-M.."She slurred, struggling to sit up. "Gettoffe me!"

He pushed her down back, and in her drunken haze, she couldn't even muster the strength to fight back.

"Nobody likes a tease, Brooke you should know that." He whispered against her lips and she turned sideways, her heart suddenly pounding very loudly in her chest, but not in a good way. She struggled against him and whimpered against his lips, but her fight was starting to wind down as she could feel her eyes drooping and her vision getting cloudier...almost like she was going to pass out...

But just before her mind slipped into unconsciousness, the sound of the door bursting open and a very angry, "Get the hell off her!" surrounded her as the bright lights of the room did as well.

* * *

"Oh, hey there you guys are." Haley smiled in relief as she finally caught up with Peyton and Tyler. They were over by one of the rec rooms playing pool.

"Hey Haley!" Peyton smiled, taking a drink off her cup. "I was actually wondering where you've been at."

"Hmm-mmm. It sure looks like you've missed me." She teased good-naturedly, motioning to their drinks and by the way the two of them were laughing and carrying on when she walked in. "I'm glad you guys are having fun."

"Well, _she_ is." Tyler took a long swig of his drink and pointed the bottle to Peyton. "She claimed that she only had a little experience at pool but damn, I can't believe I'm letting a chick kick my ass at my own domain!"

"Hey!" Peyton exclaimed, shoving Tyler playfully. "Call me a chick again and I will be _literally_ kicking your ass!"

"I'd take that warning if I was you Ty." Haley smirked. "Trust me, Peyton's one tough _chick."_

_"_Hey, that goes for you too James!"

Haley laughed along with them, till she felt her cell phone vibrating in her pants pocket. _Jake_. "Hey, I'll be right out I just-"

_"No, Haley I need you right now. I walked in and that jackass had almost...listen she's passed out and I need you to help me get her out of here without creating a huge scene. At the end of the hallway there's a door that leads to the basement. We can get her out that way without anyone noticing so hurry."_

_"_Okay, okay. I'll be right up."

Noticing her frantic tone, both Peyton and Tyler looked her way. "Hey, is something wrong?"

"Yeah, actually that's why I was looking for you. I um, need to take off and I just wanted to make sure that you would be okay driving back alone."

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Peyton eyed her carefully. "But listen if you need my help or anything, call me okay?"

"Thanks Peyton." Breathing a huge sigh of relief, Haley gave the curly-blonde a quick hug and waved bye to Tyler before sprinting out of the room and up the stairs towards Jake and Brooke.

* * *

"Well, well color me shocked." Rachel drawled as she flipped on the lights in Tim's room, to find a sprawled out Nathan on the bed. "I never thought I'd find the day, where _the _Nathan Scott, star of the Ravens, life of the party himself would be literally drowning his sorrows all alone in the dark."

"What did you do? Follow me up here?" He shot back, not bothering to look over at her as she let herself in and closed the door behind her. "Wouldn't surprise me actually, coming from you. Stalking is not an attractive quality Rach."

"Oh, Natie.."

"Don't call me that!" He snapped, sitting up angrily. "Why don't you just screw off and leave me alone?"

"Oh grow a pair will you?" She sneered. "If I did that, you'll just continue to sit here and sulk and-"

"I'm not sulking!" He shot back lamely, glaring as she came to sit next to him.

Reaching across the bed to Tim's nightstand, she pulled open the bottom drawer and pulled out an almost brand new bottle of Jack Daniels and two shot glasses out and handed one to Nathan.

"Do I even want to know how you know that was in there?" He questioned, then shook his head. "Forget it, I guess Tim's stories about his late night rendezvous' with you weren't so made up after all."

Filling both of the shot glasses to the brim, Rachel ignored his dig at her. "Instead of sitting here lamenting the fact that your perfect girl sent you to hell for like the fifth straight time or the fact that your back up plan goldilocks is having the time of her life downstairs with your _friend_, you need to remember that-"

"First of all, you don't know what the hell you're talking about." Throwing his head back, he drank it straight up. "Because I'm not _lamenting_ anything."

"Maybe you're right." She threw back her own shot and licked the excess off her lips. "Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, but you know what I do know?" She filled their shot glasses again. "I do know that you're Nathan Scott and I'm Rachel Gattina and we're too damn hot to let anything get us down. And that stupid little thing called love? Is simply not for people like you and me."

"I'm not sleeping with you again." He growled, as he took in the third straight shot.

She rolled her eyes, "Oh please, give me a little more credit will you? Do you really think I'm up here to get you drunk and rape you or something? Get over yourself." She filled their shot glasses for the fourth time and clinked hers with his. "All I'm looking for is a good time and before you got yourself all involved with love and feelings and shit, you used to be my perfect counterpart so drink up baby. To you and me and to this beautiful little thing I like to call...freedom."

He eyed her, but ultimately he was just too tired of feeling that damn, aching pain in his chest and he decided to hell with it. He wasn't going to give a shit anymore. "To you and me."

* * *

Digging in Brooke's purse, Haley pulled out her best friend's house keys and opened the door, not surprised in the least that the house was completely desolate. Brooke's parents were probably off on one of their trips again, she thought bitterly. Opening the door wider, she allowed for Jake, who had a passed out Brooke in his arms, to come in. Making their way upstairs, Haley led them to Brooke's bedroom, where she pulled back the comforter and Jake laid her down gently. Along the way, they had already decided that Haley would spend the night with her, to watch over her and with a quick call to her mom, it was settled.

"Okay, I'm just going to grab one of Brooke's shirts and sweatpants and I'm going to take a quick shower." Haley said to Jake quietly, digging through Brooke's drawers. "So just stay put while I come back. I won't be long I promise."

"It's okay, take your time. I won't leave her alone."

Exhaling, Jake took a seat on one of Brooke's bright pink cushion seats right next to her bed and leant back a little, closing his eyes tiredly. It was quiet for a couple of minutes, till a stirring noise and a groan filled the room and Jake sat straight up and went towards Brooke who was looking around her in confusion.

When her vision focused, she reached out to touch his arm. "Jake?" Her voice was still laced heavily with alcohol. "What are you doing here?"

"We were at Tim's party and you'd had a little too much to drink and some guy had taken you upstairs so me and-" He cut off abruptly when she erupted into sobs and he immediately went over to her and wrapped his arms around her, in an attempt to comfort her.

"Shhh...Brooke, don't cry." He whispered against her hair. "I'm right here, I promise you it will be all-right."

"No it won't! I keep telling myself that it will, but every day..every time I see him, it just hurts even more. I'm over it. I should be over it. I'm over him…" Brooke sobbed against his shoulder, "So, then why do I feel like he just cheated on me? Like we're breaking up all over again?"

"Moving on isn't a onetime thing Brooke." He pulled back and gently wiped her tears. "It's something that you have to do day by day, till one day the pain is no longer there. And drinking? It's not going to make it go away or make it better Brooke."

"Yeah, well it helps."

"Let me help instead." he whispered, pulling her against him and rubbing her back comfortingly as the heart-wrenching tears soaked up the shoulder of his shirt. "You deserve to be with someone who makes you happy, who doesn't hurt you, who won't break your heart."

"And that's the worst part." She hiccupped against him. "When I know this, but I also know that the person who broke it in the first place is the only one who can fix it. How screwed up is that?"

He didn't respond, only continued to hold her and comfort her and after a couple of minutes, when the tears seemed to have completely drained her, she pulled back to look at him and stared at him. "Do you think Peyton's pretty?"

Completely thrown off by that, he stared at her completely dumbfounded. "Huh? I'm sorry where-"

"Would you kiss her?"

"Umm…"He rubbed the back of his neck, a little nervously, not knowing what to make of this. "Well, yeah. She's pretty. But she's not really my type."

Brooke bit her lip as a new onslaught of tears came to her eyes. "Y'know she's not Nathan's type either. I mean, yeah she's pretty or as you guys say hot, but she's not his type at all! She's too…too broody and bitchy and I don't know why he would kiss her!" The tears were rolling down her cheeks again as she rambled drunkenly. "And y'know he didn't even try to sleep with her, he just kissed her! So Nathan, must really like her or she must be something special if he didn't even try to sleep with her…" She broke off and continued to sob and Jake was perplexed to say the least, so he only held on to her as she continued to cry.

Stopping abruptly, she pulled back and looked at him. "He kissed me again y'know. After our huge fight and I'm so stupid, so utterly stupid because I let him kiss me. And you know what's the worst part of all? I would probably let him do it again, because I love him and his kisses make me weak. And he has this way, when he kisses you...he can even make you forget your first name."

Tenderly wiping her tears away, he cracked a small smile. "I wouldn't know."

"Maybe you do know." She teased, still more than a little drunk. "Maybe you just can't remember because if his kisses can make you forget your own name, they can make you forget he ever kissed you too." She giggled as she tilted her head to the side. "Wait that didn't make any sense."

"No it didn't." He laughed a little too, glad she wasn't crying anymore. "Besides me and Nathan were never _that_ close and unlike you and Haley or most little girls, we didn't go around 'practice-kissing.'

"Oh no."She pouted, and another giggle escaped her lips as her arms came to rest around his neck. "Poor Jakey, never had anyone to practice with when you were little?"

"It's not like that with us boys Brooke." He chuckled. "It just comes-"

"Naturally?" She giggled again, pulling closer to him. "Let's see if that's true."

And before he even had a chance to react or see where she was going with that statement, she had crawled into his lap and tightened her arms around his neck as her lips came crashing into his.

* * *

_Maybe life is better off this way_  
_But what about the others who aren't here today_  
_We struggle with the tide_  
_Falling with our hearts_  
_But then in my mind_  
_No point in killing time_

_You better stop what you're doing_  
_Before you do it all wrong again_

Sighing deeply, Peyton once again logged on to her IM, but still no sign of Lucas anywhere. She knew he was grounded so therefore he was home, and couldn't be at his mom's cafe since it was well past closing time and yet it was still too early for him to be asleep.

As a final attempt, she turned on her webcam and dug around for the record that was now playing full blast in her room. She held it up to the webcam and waved _Joss Stone Killing Time_ back and forth for a couple of minutes. Her webcam was one way only, so she couldn't video chat with him, but waving a record of whatever song was playing in her room at the time was like her SOS to Lucas. It had been their thing for since she'd first gotten it and it was like the signal to her mood at the moment or just simply the fact that she wanted to talk to him.

Giving it a couple of minutes, she logged on her IM again and still no Lucas. Giving up, frustrated she turned off her webcam and pulled out her sketchbook.

_I have tried to put it from my mind_  
_To bury all the trouble that I've left behind_  
_But still I can't explain_  
_The words I just can't find_  
_And I can't understand it_  
_Ain't nothing gonna change my mind_

"It looks like it's one of those days again." She muttered to herself, as she began to sketch in the words in a blank new sheet. "When music is your only friend."

_I know I may be young_  
_And know nothing of this world_  
_Oh Lord, it's been long_  
_In its coming_  
_I don't care if my words sound absurd_  
_Your play won't play this time_

As she listened to the track, her hands had worked quickly and deftly to almost finish her sketch when she distinctly heard the doorbell ring downstairs. Pausing, she reached over for the stereo control and lowered it down, when she heard it again. Frowning to herself, she quietly and slowly made her way downstairs, wondering who it could be at this time. Her Dad was still out in the Gulf and Lucas nor Karen would ever knock, they did have their own key.

A little nervously and slightly hesitantly, she pulled the door open and when she did, she almost fainted as she stared at the other person on the other end. Her eyes must be deceiving her, because that possibly couldn't be..

"Peyton."

Hearing his voice, all air was sucked out of her and tears immediately flooded her eyes as a thousand emotions swept through her and the only sound that she could emulate was a soft gasp as the name that she never thought she'd utter again slipped through her trembling lips.

"Julian?"

_Stop what you're doing_  
_Before you do it all wrong again_  
_You have to get it right this time_  
_Before it gets all out of hand_


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N Hey guys, back again with another update. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed, it makes me smile and it just inspires me to keep going. I've only watched OTH sporadically over the years, so if Julian's character is a little OOC I apologize. Also in my story the way he and Peyton met and their story will be all from my own imagination (though I did steal a line from the show, sort of) He's two years older than her, basically about to start his freshman year in college. You'll get to see how they met and how they fell in love in flashbacks in the next couple of chapters**

**Also one more thing, I don't remember if in the show they actually had a Homecoming Dance or not, and with all that's happened in the story certain events might seem like they're all clustered in together. But they're necessary for the story so here it goes: The Boy Toy Auction will be on "Thursday", the Homecoming Dance will be on "Friday" Night and the Charity Ball will be on Saturday. Anyone confused yet? Whew, sorry. If you guys have any questions or are confused about anything PM and don't forget to pretty, pretty please review. All flashbacks are in italics.**

Rolling over onto her side, Brooke muffled a scream into her pillow as the early daylight started pouring into her bedroom window. She didn't know for certain what time it was, but the sunshine rays were most definitely _not_ welcome, and neither was the throbbing headache and bitter taste in her mouth. You'd think that by now she'd be used to waking up like this, god knew this was her almost weekend routine. And though usually, the '_what the hell happened last night?' _and '_How much did I drink?' _were the first thoughts to pop into her mind, this time it was different. Because okay, maybe she didn't know just _how_ much she'd drank, though if the persistent nausea was any indication...She _did_ know what happened last night, and that thought alone made the vile sit even more heavily in her stomach.

Most of the night was a foggy mess, but that was no surprise, the morning afters usually were. But one thing clearly stood out in her memory and it was her encounter with Nathan. Snuggling into her comforter, she shut her eyes tightly as she felt the tears prickling behind. She had promised herself that she wouldn't allow herself to cry over him anymore. Damn it, she wouldn't. But the stupid tears insisted on setting themselves free, and she would allow them for the last time. Burrowing her face into her pillow, she cried silently, feeling her entire body shaking with the intensity of her emotions.

Hearing a soft knock, she sat straight up, regretting it immediately as her head spun wildly. She fisted her comforter with her hands quickly for balance and was confused for a second. Had her parents come back already? No, they weren't due till tomorrow, so that could only mean the morning staff had come in early today. She wiped the tears furiously away from her face, "Come in Sandy." She called out, hating the way her voice wavered slightly.

The door slid open a crack, and Haley's blonde head peeked through. "You're not Sandy." Brooke snapped, crossing her arms in front of her. "What are you doing here?"

"Good observation." Haley smiled, stepping in fully. "And actually, I gave her the day off."

Brooke's mouth dropped open, "What? You have _got_ to be kidding me! Who do you think you are you..you intruder! How the hell did you even get in? And what gives you the right to give the day off to _my _staff?"She fumed, "Oh, she is soo getting fired for taking orders from _you_."

"Sandy's known me since we were kids, and frankly I think I saved her from one." Leaning against the doorframe, Haley crossed her arms and regarded her indignant best friend. "It seems like last night _someone_ had a little bit too much to drink, though that's not a total shocker. _But_ you did go a little overboard, more so than usual and found yourself in a situation where you could've been raped. Had it not been for Jake intervening, then you wouldn't be lying in your warm, comfortable bed right now."

"That still doesn't explain _your_ presence, which is very much unwanted might I add and more than a little irritating."

"Well, somebody had to watch over you last night."

"Fine, duly noted." She huffed. "You can leave now."

"Nope, I'm not. This has gone on long enough and right now more than ever you need me."

"First of all you're making my already horrible hang-over even worse and second of all, I don't _need _you. I don't need anybody, and _especially _not a lying back-stabbing-"

"Yeah, you've been pretty colorful with adverbs when it comes to me lately, but look it's been a long night, for the both of us and I'm not leaving until we talk."

"I'm calling the cops on you."

"Oh really?" She tilted her head to the side, amused. "For what?"

"For...for invasion of private property!"

"Stop being so childish Brooke." Haley rolled her eyes. "There's a glass of water and a couple of Advil by your nightstand and I've already ran you a warm bath, complete with your favorite imported EO Serenity French Lavender Bubble Bath. So take these, and go soak up for a little bit and relax. I'll be waiting downstairs with some fresh strawberry French toast and scrambled eggs, and hmm bacon!"

"I still hate you!" She called out, grabbing the Advil and glass of water off the nightstand, glowering even after she'd swallowed them.

"I heard that!"She sing-songed as she made her way downstairs. "And I love you too Brookie!"

"Ugh, _bitch." _Brooke growled, flopping back down on her bed. Could her day get any worse than having to deal with that hypocritical little _Miss Sunshine_? And why did she always have to be so...so _Haley?_

* * *

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

"Yo, Nate wake the fuck up man! My parents are getting back soon and everyone needs to get the fuck out!"

Groaning, Nathan stirred slightly and rolled around, till he was on his back. Opening his eyes slowly, he immediately regretted it and squeezed them back tight. "What the fuck..." he moaned, grimacing at the horrible taste of Jack Daniels still bitter in his mouth. Forcing his eyes open, he sat up slowly the blankets sliding down his bare torso as he did so.

"Oh shit." He muttered, "Where the fuck are my..."

"Looking for these?"

Snapping his head towards the bathroom, he caught sight of Rachel leaning up against the doorframe, freshly showered and changed. She was smirking and was dangling them in front of her like some sort of price.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He growled, catching them as she tossed them at him. The entire night came rushing back to him, and it made the already heavy feeling in his stomach even worse. "What the fuck Rach?"

She rolled her eyes, "I should be the one angry here honey." She moved around to grab her bag. "After the 7th shot, you were pretty much gone. I had to finish the job myself if you know what I mean."

He quickly pulled on his boxers and reached for his t-shirt at the foot of the bed, "I told you last night I wasn't sleeping with you again. I should've seen through your bullshit." He clambered for his pants and struggled to pull them on.

"Oh, please Scott." She scoffed, as she made her way towards him. "Last night I was looking for a good time, and y'know once upon a time, you were more than up for it too, till you let _feelings_ and l_ove_ and all that bullshit mess with your head. You're a big boy, so I didn't force you into anything sweetheart."She clicked her tongue and tilted her head to the side. "Sadly, though you did disappoint in your performance or lack thereof. So really, I'm the wronged party here. But it's okay." She ran her hands up his chest to adjust his shirt over his broad shoulders. "You just owe me one now, baby."

Pressing a brief, but sizzling kiss to his lips, she grabbed her bag and paused at the door. "Oh, and just for the record, last night _I_ wasn't the one who initiated anything."

* * *

Slowly, Peyton shifted away from the sunlight streaming in from her window, groaning at the unwanted reminder that it was now indeed morning. She reached out to the other side of the bed, but instead of Julian's solid form, her grasp only brushed the comforter.

Her eyes flew open, and inadvertently she scanned the entire room, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. Not just from the sudden wake, but for the unknown.

Had last night been a dream?

No, it couldn't have been. Looking down at herself, she fingered the Large Black Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt that was mostly worn out, but was one of Julian's favorites.

Hearing the light, but sure sounds of somebody rattling down in the kitchen, she took a deep calming breath and lay back down. She snuggled up to the side where Julian had slept and brought his shirt up to inhale his unique scent it, a small smile gracing her lips, despite herself. Closing her eyes, she let her mind take her back to last night.

_Holding on the door frame for support Peyton still found it hard to grasp the fact that he was standing in front of her. She was sure her mind was playing tricks on her, because there was just no way..._

_"Peyton?" Now her name came out as a question, and a small smile formed at his lips. It looked like she had just seen a ghost._

_"Y-yeah." She cleared her throat and shook herself out of her stupor. "I'm sorry. But..what are you doing here Julian?"_

_He laughed now, and something deep in her stomach clenched, oh how long had it been since she'd heard that? And how much did she realize in that one moment just how much she'd missed it?_

_"Y'know a guy travels all the way from California, shows up in the middle of the night...a guy might I add you haven't seen in oh, about 2 years and all I get is a what are you doing here?"_

_"Yeah, well said guy also just up and left without so much as a goodbye and never had the decency to write or call or give any indication he was still alive." She snapped._

_He smiled, and shook his head. There was that fire, that snark that he'd missed so much. "If you'll let me in, I can explain."_

_Looking down at ground, she noticed he had one carry bag with him. She looked back up at him, and damn it there was that smile. It surprised her, how even after 2 years, it could still make her heart flutter. Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded and opened the door for him._

_Sighing in relief, he dropped the duffel bag as she closed the door and turned to her. Before she could say or do anything, he had taken a step towards her and in one swift motion gathered her up in his arms, crushing her to his body in a tight hug. "God, I've missed you so much Peyton."_

_Letting out a slight sound of surprise, she felt her eyes flutter shut as she returned the hug back with equal force. God knew, she'd missed him too._

_He was the first one to pull back, and he looked around him, a bit hesitantly. "So.." he began, a little nervously. "Is your Dad around?"_

_Shaking her head, she looked down briefly. "No he's still out in the Gulf somewhere. He'll be gone for a couple of months"_

_Leaning forward, he tucked a curl behind her ear tenderly. "I'm sorry Sad Girl." he whispered, knowing how much she hated when he was gone._

_Her breath hitching a little at his touch and at the old nickname, she found herself suddenly overwhelmed with a different million emotions. A thousand questions were running through her mind, but her mind and her heart suddenly felt heavy and she took a deep breath. "Listen Julian, it's been a very long night and I'm sure you're tired from you flight so do you think we can just..."_

_"No problem." He whispered, pulling her in close to drop a quick kiss on her forehead."We can talk tomorrow."_

* * *

Stepping out of the bathtub, Brooke reached for her favorite pink Chenille robe and slipped it on, stepping into her matching slippers. Letting out a sigh of contentment, she walked over to her vanity mirror. She'd soaked for about an hour, and she felt a million times better, but she would never admit that to Haley, who with a roll of her eyes she knew was still downstairs. So what, if she'd even gone as far as adorning the bathtub with her favorite lavender scented candles as well?

Facing the mirror, she cleared the fog off with one sleeve and stared at her reflection. She didn't look as terrible as she ought to, considering last night's events. She quickly went through the tasks of blow-drying and styling her hair, and applying just enough make-up to look refreshed and alert. As she reached for her favorite Pink berry Lip-gloss, her phone vibrated next to the sink and she picked it up.

Flipping it open, she realized it was a text from Rachel. _Not so irreplaceable as you thought huh B? _Attached to it, was a picture of a guy's lower right hip bone, and she was about to flip it shut, when something caught her eye.

_"Nathan, baby, we have to do something crazy to conm..conve, damn where's Haley when you need her?" Brooke giggled, swaying a little bit as she stumbled out the front door. Taking one last gulp of her favorite champagne Nathan had gotten for them, she giggled again as she tossed it to the side. "Oops all gone."_

_Nathan laughed, stumbling a bit himself. He took Brooke's hand and led her to the second to last step of the stairs that led them down to the beach. He positioned himself so that she could wrap her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist._

_"Nathan!"She squealed and as he twirled them around, she giggled some more, the alcohol flying over her head. "Stop, stop!"She yelled out. "You're making me dizzy baby!"_

_"Don't worry, baby I've got you." He then took off running towards the water's edge, her squealing all the way. The alcohol had gotten to him as well, because before he made it, he lost his footing and sent the two of them flying into the surf._

_Laughing they both didn't even bother to stand up as they sat there, the small waves crashing over them._

_"What were you saying earlier?" He asked, moving so that her back was to him and he reached out playing with the silky, wet strands of her hair._

_"Hmm." She tilted her head back, as his hands moved to massage her neck slightly. "I was saying that we should do something fun or crazy to mark this day. To you know, make sure this day is one we'll never forget."_

_"Oh, I'm sure I'll never forget it." He grinned cheekily, thinking of their previous activities. _

_Laughing, she grabbed his hands, making them both stand up. "Oh, I'm sure you won't either."_

_"And besides, I thought I did a pretty good job."_

_"You did." She leaned in for a quick kiss, as her fingers played with her new silver necklace. He'd gotten them reservations to her favorite Italian restaurant and he'd surprised her with a romantic dessert and set up back at the beach house. "But I just meant something...fun and spontaneous and..."Her face suddenly lit up and she stopped frolicking on the waves. "Oh! I know! We should both get tattoos!"_

_"Tattoos? Brooke you're insane." _

_"No, won't it be fun?" She grabbed onto his hands, as she started dancing around, her feet kicking at the waves. "We should totally do it. It'd be sweet. What do you say?"_

_"I say, you had way too much drink and maybe we should call it a night." _

_"Oh, c'mon Babe." She waded over to him, and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Don't you love me?"_

_"Of course I do." He smiled down at her. "But tattoos? Brooke, it's like a curse when a couple gets a tattoo of the other's name."_

_"I wasn't talking about our names tattooed, but now that you brought it up..."_

_"Brooke..."_

_"And anyways that's just a myth."_

_"I don't know, we'll talk about it tomorrow okay? When we're both sober."_

_"Tomorrow?" She frowned and shook her head. "No, uh-uh, I was thinking about it today, as in right now."_

_"Are you serious?"_

_"Yeah, well it's not spontaneous or crazy when you go and plan it is it?"_

_"Brooke, it's like midnight, there's no way any of the tattoo shops downtown is open, and besides we're not even 18 and I for once, don't have my fake with me."_

_"Oh, I know a guy." _

_He paused, and his eyes narrowed. "Do I even want to know how you know this guy?"_

_Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Probably not."_

_"I thought you couldn't be under the influence when getting ink done."_

_"Another myth."_

_"It scares me how much you know about this."_

_She swatted his arm, "Oh shut up. So, what you in or what?"_

_"I'm not getting a heart or something girly with your name on it or anything."_

_"We can do Chinese calligraphy, it's like the craze now."_

_"What if we ever break up? I've heard removing tattoos is even more painful than getting them."_

_"That's not going to happen. And anyways, we're getting Chinese symbols, if anybody ever asks, we'll just lie."_

_"My dad is going to kill me."_

_"And we don't have to get our entire names. I can get a simple N and you a B and we'll get them somewhere where no one but the two of us will ever see them."_

_"In that case there's no way that friend of yours cuz isn't getting anywhere near there with a needle."_

_"Oh, c'mon baby." she teased. "I promise I'll hold your hand and I'll never tell."_

Snapping her phone shut, she let it fall, feeling like she'd just been slapped in the face. She inhaled sharply and gazed at her reflection wordlessly, her mind in utter torment.

She cursed the oncoming angry tears and willed them away. She refused to let this get to her. Nathan was free to do whatever and whoever the hell he wanted now. So he wanted to continue to screw that venereal disease carrying skank? That was his problem. And it did not affect her. At all.

Who was she kidding? Watching her expression crumble in tears in the mirror, she sank down slowly to the tiled floor as this new pain tore a new wound in her already severed heart. Grabbing the nearby tissues she mopped at her face, not caring that her carefully applied make-up was now a dripping soggy tissue mess.

"_I love you Brooke. I need you."_

Angrily, her hands balled up the tissues littering around her and she threw them in the wastebasket forcefully. How many times was she going to continue to do this to herself? Pathetically cry over him and let him keep continue to mess with her head and continue to break her heart? And how could he profess his undying love and promises to change just the night before and then end up with Rachel at the end of the night? She should've known it was all empty promises and lies on his part. And she did, but that didn't stop it from hurting any less.

Getting up slowly, she looked at her reflection and shook her head, angry at herself for how much of a mess she looked. She was done with Nathan Scott and she had told him so last night, and she had promised herself that she was going to move on, and sitting around crying over him was not the way to do it.

Re-applying her make-up, she stared hard at her reflection once she was done. Her eyes were still a little blood-shot, and no amount of makeup could hide the hurt she felt deep inside. Reaching for her eye-shadow and lip-gloss, she added a couple more touches and flashed her trademark flirty grin to her reflection. On the outside she still looked like _the _Brooke Davis. Beautiful, popular, captain of the cheer squad, student class president. The one all the girls envied and all the guys wanted. She was practically a legend at Tree Hill High.

And she certainly didn't need Nathan Scott to continue to be that Brooke Davis.

Sure, they'd been a power couple, but she could still rule that damn school with or without him. Hey, if Jennifer Aniston did it, then so could she. In fact, hadn't her star shone brighter without Brad Pitt?

_I'm going to smile like nothing's wrong, talk like everything's perfect, and pretend that it's not completely killing me. _

And besides, two could play at this game. _"You screwed around with my worst enemy. So I say, I can have a little fun screwing around with yours. It's only fair."_

She knew she should just be the bigger person and move forward. She'd decided she was done with Nathan Scott, so she should just completely move on. And playing games was just childish and not her, but revenge was so tempting, so why not have a little fun? He'd certainly had no consideration of her feelings, so why should she? And she didn't care anymore that he now knew that pursuing Lucas was sorely to piss him off.

_"He's never going to want you."..."He's hung up on Haley."..."They're practically making out in every corner of the school."..."But then, why that let you stop you? Perfect way to get revenge on Haley too huh?"..._

Remembering that her ex-best friend was still downstairs, she nibbled on her lip as she stared at her reflection thoughtfully. Was any of it even true? She remembered Lucas telling her the night of the Homecoming Game that he was sort of seeing someone and that he really liked her, and he didn't really seem like the two-timing type. Only one way to find out, go straight to the source itself.

* * *

Carefully setting a tray of food next to the nightstand, Julian quietly sat on the edge of the bed and watched as Peyton slept. A smile crossed his lips, and his fingers itched to run them through her golden curls, which seemed to glisten under the sunlight filtering in. But he didn't, in fear of waking her. She looked so peaceful and like an angel, and the smile on his lips deepened. She was more beautiful than what he'd remembered, and just sitting there, watching her sleeping, it was like something was finally awaking in him. That painful ache that had been in his heart, since he'd last seen her, seemed to dull minute by minute, all from the simple act of watching her and the knowledge that for the time being, she was there in front of him. Not in his dreams at night, nor the images he had of her constantly, but she was actually there.

He didn't realize how long he sat there, just taking her in when she began to stir. Opening her eyes, she caught sight of him on the chair and the smell of pancakes and scrambled eggs awoke her senses. Sitting up, she pulled her curls back and looked at him, suddenly feeling vulnerable. "Hey."She mumbled.

"Good morning."He grinned at her, and the way he was staring at her made her feel even more self-conscious than what she already felt. "I uh, cooked you something."

"Thanks." She smiled, taking a sip of the orange juice on the tray. "But I'm not really that hungry to be honest."

"Oh." He cleared his throat and flashed her a quick smile. "That's okay."

She shifted on the bed, realizing that she was still only wearing his shirt and a pair of boy cut shorts and she flushed, realizing it made the whole situation even more awkward.

"Listen Julian, I'm sorry, it was sweet of you to cook me breakfast, but I can't really think about eating anything right now."

"I know. We need to talk."

She blew a puff of hair, and nodded. "Yes, we do."

"I don't know where to start." He admitted.

"How about you start from the beginning?" She suggested, a hint of anger in her tone. "Like for example, what are you doing here? Showing up at my house in the middle of the night after two years? 2 years after instead of spending time with your dad like you said you were here to do while he filmed another movie, you decided it would be more fun to insert your unwanted presence and not so subtle _casual run-ins_ into my life? Annoying me to no end with your stupid lame stories and jokes, and irritating me endlessly with your random movie quotes, which sometimes had nothing to do with the situations at hand?" She took in a shaky breath, hating how quickly she was losing control of her emotions. "And yet, despite all that, maybe in spite of that and many, many things like your beautiful smile and your kind eyes, and the way you never left...even when I revealed my darkest side to you...you managed to find a way into my heart and make what started out as another dreary and lonely summer into the most magical and memorable one of my life."

She didn't want this, she didn't want to fall apart in front of him, but it was like a dam had burst and everything she'd held in for the last two years was finally coming out. All that pain, and confusion and anger and love that she'd locked away, was finally surfacing and he noticed this. Noticed the painful way she was trying to avoid looking at him, for fear that she _would_ come undone.

"Peyton-" His heart ached as he watched her, and edging off the bed, he went to her. Wanting nothing more than to hold her and comfort her, but she allowed it not. She refused to look at him, and she kept her distance.

"No, don't." She looked up at him then, the anger evident in her eyes and in her tone. "I want to know why Julian? Why after everything that we shared, everything that you made me _feel, _why would you come back, when you just up and left without so much as a good-bye? When you ripped my heart out and selfishly took it with you?"

It tore him apart to see her like this, and to know that he was the one to cause of all that anger and pain at the moment. He hung his head, unable to look her in the eyes without feeling that same pain he'd inflicted on her. "I'm sorry Peyton." His voice came out low, almost below a whisper. "I thought it would be for the best."

Momentarily stunned, she gaped at him incredulously. "You thought it would be for the best?" She managed after finding her voice. She couldn't believe she was hearing this from him. "Do you know how I _felt _when I realized you were gone Julian? When I found out that your Dad's production had scheduled to wrap up filming a week early? And that you probably knew that and just decided not to tell me? But then, why bother? Why not just up and disappear without so much as a warning or a good-bye? Why not just make it easier on yourself, and just wipe your slate clean and move on from your summer fling right?"

"A summer fling?" He shook his head, "Peyton, that's now how it was and you know it."

"No! That is how it was and _you_ know it Julian!" She cried angrily. "Because let me tell you something, actions sure as hell speak louder than words and you left! Do you know how devastated I was when I realized you were gone and you weren't coming back?" Tears were now making their way down her cheeks, and she swiped at them furiously. "How I felt, when days turned into weeks and then months and I didn't hear from you? A letter, a call _anything!"_

"I promise you that I didn't know my Dad's production was wrapping up early."

"Even if that was the case, so what? You still could've called or written or _something. _Anything to let me know that you were still out there, okay, alive. Just anything to let me know that what we shared that summer meant something to you too."

He reached for her, but flinched when she pushed him back angrily. "Peyton, what we shared meant everything to me and leaving you...that was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. But we were so young and we were going to live on two ends of the coast and-"

"Don't give me that bullshit Julian." She spat, cutting him off.

"I'm really sorry that I didn't contact you Peyton." He replied softly. "But you have to believe me when I say that I thought it was the best thing to do, that it was the best thing for _you_. We were so young...you were only 15 and what we shared that summer was something so utterly perfect and beautiful and untouchable and I wanted to keep it that way for you. I wanted you to be able to look back at it as a beautiful memory. We were so far apart, and I didn't want to hurt you with the issues and false hope that usually comes with long-distance relationships. I wanted you to be able to move on, without feeling guilty had we kept in touch."

_"_Well I didn't move on!" She pushed away from him and stalked over to one of her drawers and pulled out a couple of notebooks and a box. She picked up one of the notebooks and threw it towards where he was standing by the bed. "You see this? _This_ is what I did with the remainder of my summer after you left." This time she didn't bother to contain her tears as they spilled out angrily. Grabbing another notebook, she threw it at him as well. "And this one, yeah that's how I spent most of my sophomore year, when I realized that you weren't coming back or going to call. Pathetic right?" Opening up the box, she pulled out a sky blue teddy bear, that looked almost as soft as the day he had given it to her. "And do you remember this? Do you remember that night out by the boardwalk, do you want to know how many nights I slept with this? Thinking of you, wondering where you could possibly be, and wondering if you were out there thinking of me too?" Digging through the box, she pulled out a faded oversized_ Grease_ T-shirt. "Or how many nights I slept with this on, because it still smelled like you and it made me feel like you were still here with me?" Picking up and old record of _Pink Moon _by Nick Drake, she sent it flying towards him. "Do you want to know how many afternoons I spent crying while listening to this?" She picked out a handful of photographs and let them flutter to the floor angrily. "And these? I looked at this constantly just so that I would never forget your smile." Crying profusely now, she picked up the box and tossed it at him, the remainder of the items spilling out into the bed. "And you know what? You never should've bothered! You never should've tried so hard to tear down at those walls if all you were going to do was going to shatter my heart the way you did!" Covering her face with her hands, she turned away from him, hating herself for the way she was coming undone in front of him.

Swallowing back his own tears, he moved towards her. He hated the fact that she was hurting the way she was. Hated the fact that he was the cause for those tears. Tugging at her gently, he folded her into his arms. She fought to break free, but he just tightened his grip on her, rocking her back and forth and whispering gently into her soft curls over and over, "I'm so sorry Peyton."

* * *

"Really Brooke," Haley dropped the fork in her plate exasperated. "You're really just going to continue to give me the silent treatment?"

Taking a delicate bite of her French toast, Brooke chewed thoughtfully. "Hmm. Well, it's not as good as Sandy's and you overdid it a little with the powdered sugar, but overall, not bad."

"Brooke!"

Rolling her eyes, Brooke took a sip of her orange juice. "I'm not giving you the silent treatment Haley." She responded coldly. "I just don't have anything to say to you."

Haley sighed, and she shook her head. "Brooke, what is it going to take? For us to go back to the way it was? I miss you."

"Things won't ever be the same Haley."

"I know I screwed up okay, and I should've told you about Rachel and Nathan kissing when it happened but I told you why I didn't. I know that doesn't excuse what I did, but you have to know that I only did it because I didn't want to hurt you over what Nathan convinced me at the time was nothing. I swear to you that I didn't know that he slept with her."

"I've already heard this okay?" Brooke responded, an edge to her voice. "You don't have to repeat yourself, but like you said it still doesn't excuse that you didn't tell me. And can you just drop it? The last thing I feel like doing is talking about Nathan and Rachel."

"Fine, then how about we talk about us? Look, no matter how many times you push me away, I'm not going to go anywhere Brooke. I'll always be here for you, whether you want me to or not. I'll always be your friend."

Silently, Brooke concentrated on her food as she let Haley's words fall over her. She hated to admit to her that she missed her too, but her pride and her feelings had been hurt and she wasn't one to give in easy. Haley had been the one person in the world she trusted more than anyone, and she'd let her down and that wasn't something Brooke could easily forget.

"Did you give Nathan the same speech?" She finally looked up and fixed her with an ice cold glare.

Startled, Haley just stared at her. "What?"

Brooke glared at her as she picked up a strawberry, "Are you on Team Brooke or Team Nathan?"

Haley sighed as she pushed away her plate, losing her appetite. "I didn't know there were any teams."

"Yeah, well there are. And Nathan made it that way when he cheated on me." She snapped, "So you better pick a team."

"Brooke, I really don't-"

"Look, you wanted to know what it would take to get back in my good graces? Well, there it is. If you want to be my friend again, then you can't be Nathan's." Brooke pushed away her chair, and stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going out by the pool. Clean up when you're done."

* * *

"Oh, lovely just the person I wanted to see." Rachel drawled as she opened her door and caught sight of Felix.

"Cut the sarcasm Red." He retorted, pushing past her into her foyer.

Rolling her eyes, she shut the door and beckoned Felix to follow her out back, where she was currently eating breakfast. "If I'd known you were coming over, I would've had the staff cook for two."

"I'm not hungry." He retorted, flopping into one of the deck chairs.

"Suit yourself." She shrugged, and continued on. "So what's up?" She paused, tilting her head knowingly. "Wait, let me guess...Haley?"

He glared over at her, and ignored the mocking tone in her voice. "I'm feeling restless okay? And more than a little frustrated. I thought if I started playing nice with her, it wouldn't take that long."

"What are you talking about? I saw you talking with her yesterday, and I admit I was surprised I didn't see her run in the other direction right away. You're making progress, baby steps, but progress all the same."

"Little progress is no progress at all."

"Dramatic much?" She rolled her eyes, and took a bite of her toast. "What do you need my help for this time anyway?"

"Yeah, well speaking off little progress or none at all, you still haven't kept up your end of the deal." He snapped, "I told you I needed you to mess with Lucas and what do you do? End up sleeping with Nathan fucking Scott."

"And when did I need to run anything by you?" She scoffed. "Look, I did what you told me to do. I flirted with the guy, on one more than one occasion but I hate to break it to you sweetheart, he only has eyes for Haley. Why don't you just let that little obsession of yours go?"

"Why don't _you_?" He threw back, referring to her one night stand with Nathan.

"Look, I have my reasons, none of which I have to explain to you, but if it makes you feel any better, I'll let you in on something that might end up working in both of our favors. And neither you or I will really have to do anything to get what we both want."

"Really? Well, do tell." He replied impatiently.

"Brooke."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Yesterday, Nathan in his drunken state said something, which makes perfect sense now that I think about it." She paused to take a breath. "Brooke's still beyond pissed that Nathan cheated on her with me, and this morning I sent her a nice little reminder of that. And the more she sees or hears about me and Nathan, the more she'll be adamant to get back at Nathan with...wait for it...Lucas."

"No way. You really think she would..?"

"Oh, not only do I think she will...but according to Nathan, she's made it perfectly clear that's what she's going to do." She grinned, as she took a sip of her drink. "So, you see my friend, all we really have to do is wait and we'll kill two birds with one stone...or more like four. Brooke will take of everything for us and she doesn't even know it. Because I know this much, if Brooke manages to hook up with Lucas, out of spite, Nathan will never ever forgive her and their lovely story will be done and over with forever."

"And Haley will never forgive her or Lucas." Felix nodded, slowly catching on. "Leaving the door wide open for the both of us."

"Exactly."

* * *

"Where the hell have you been all night?" Dan questioned, looking up from the breakfast table as Nathan dragged himself in. "You look like hell."

Nathan flinched, as he took in his Dad's angry face. "Good morning to you too, Dad." He mumbled, attempting to walk past him. He didn't feel like dealing with Dan's wrath, all he wanted to do was go upstairs and sleep off his hang-over and forget the fact that he'd ended up sleeping with Rachel again.

"You're not walking away from this one with a pat in the back, Son." Dan snapped, trailing after him. "I could overlook you getting into a fight the first time with the kid, and walking away with only detention but this? Getting kicked off the game altogether?"

"It was just once Dad." Nathan rolled his eyes, flopping down on the couch, figuring he wasn't going to get out of this one right away. "Don't you think you're overreacting?"

"Sure, today it's one time and then next?" He crossed his arms as he came to stand in front of him. "Missing out on even just one game equals missing out on that perfect season you need to aim for Duke. Do you even care that it might start slipping away? All the work we've put into it, all the plans that we've made and-"

At that, Nathan snapped his head up and he glared at his Dad. "Don't you mean, all the plans _you've_ made and all the work _I've _done?"

"Fine, why don't you just quit the team now Nathan?" He threw back furiously. "Hell, that'll be a hell of a lot less humiliating than getting kicked off because of all the bullshit you keep on pulling. I'll tell you what; I'll give you a job working at the dealership. You can spend the rest of your life haggling over free floor mats with morons with bad credit. How does that sound? Because that's where you're headed, and that's if I even give you the job!"

"Dan, that's enough." A voice behind them called out and both of them turned to see the blonde walking into the living room. "I think what your father's trying to say is that he just wants a better life for you sweetheart, and he doesn't want to see your hard-earned work go to waste."

"That's what this situation needs Deb, your input." Dan scoffed at his wife before turning towards Nathan. "Yeah, by the way your mother's home."

Deb shook her head as she watched her husband stalk out of the living room. Turning towards her son, who was sulking on the couch, she walked towards him and gave him a big hug. "Now where have you been all night? I thought your father told you I was coming home today, and the first thing I wanted to see when I walked into that door was you, my son."

"Mom please." Nathan groaned, hugging her back quickly before standing up. "Not you too. I don't need this right now. Look, can we do this later? I'm really tired and I-"

"Of course you would be, staying out all night." She reprimanded softly, standing up herself. "But not today Nathan. I've made an appointment at the Formal Touch in Charlotte with Ferdinand."

"What and who?"

"For the fitting of your tuxedo for the Charity Ball next Saturday." She reminded him with a bright smile. "I got an email from Victoria Davis the other day with a picture of Brooke's dress and we've got to make sure her dress matches with your tie and Cumberland."

"Mom, Brooke and I broke up."

His mom paused and stared at him surprised, "Oh, no sweetheart. What happened?"

"I really don't want to talk about it, and I really don't want to go to the stupid fitting. I could care less if Brooke and I match, but if it's that important to you, why don't you go ahead? At this point I just don't care." He walked over towards the stairs, before turning back. "Oh, and by the way. Welcome home Mom."

* * *

Brooke had been out by pool, for almost about an hour, before Haley came out to find her. Not acknowledging her presence right away, Brooke sipped on a wine cooler instead and tilted her sunglasses down over her eyes.

Sitting on the deck chair next to her, Haley ran her hand through her hair as she stared at her best friend, not quite sure what to say to her.

"Is there something you want to say to me, or are you just going to sit there all day blocking my sunlight?"

"I thought about what you said Brooke."

"And?"

"And.." She began, letting out a breath. "It's really not fair for you to ask me to pick a team. Not only is it immature, but like I said, it's really just not fair. Not that it really matters anyways, because Nathan's still angry with me."

"So you side with me by default, is that it?" Brooke sat up, pushing back her sunglasses annoyed.

"I'm not siding with either one of you." Haley responded exasperated. "Look, what Nathan did to you was something that is unforgivable, I get that. But I also can't just disregard the fact that I've known him as long as I've known you and both of you have been my friends pretty much all my life." She took a deep breath. "What I'm trying to say Brooke, is that Nathan has nothing to do with you or me or our friendship. If you don't want to forgive him and you want him out of your life, I respect that. But you can't ask me to just erase him from mine."

"Oh, of course." Brooke smirked. "Lying, cheating _backstabbers_ tend to stick together."

"Brooke, c'mon.."

"No, Haley I don't want to hear it, you want to be Nathan's friend, go ahead I don't care. But I told you, you can't be mine."

"I'll always be your friend, I told you that."

"Well, if you really want to be my friend, then you know the rules."

"Rules?" Haley let out an amused chuckle, grabbing a strawberry wine cooler from the ice chest Brooke had by her deck chair. "This is getting a little ridiculous Brooke."

Brooke shot her a glare, "If you're just going to sit there, drinking _my_ wine coolers and laughing at me, or mocking everything I say, then I suggest you leave. You know you're way out right?"

"Okay, okay I'm sorry." Haley snapped off the cap and settled into the deck chair more comfortingly, more than a little amused. "So what else do I need to do to get back in your good graces?"

"Well, for starters you're going to help me get over him. "Brooke began, eyeing her carefully out of the corner of her eye. "Which is why you're going to help me hook up with Lucas Scott."

Haley choked on the drink, and she had a hard time swallowing. "I'm sorry what?"

"You heard me." Brooke smiled smugly. "I need to hook up with Lucas, and you two are friends right?"

"That's..I'm sorry, Brooke, I can't do that?"

"What the matter Haley?" Brooke glanced over at her innocently. "Afraid of getting on Nathan's bad side and hurting his precious feelings by helping me out with his sworn enemy?"

"No..well, that too but Brooke, Lucas and I.."

"Lucas and you what?"

"We're sort of.." Haley fiddled with her drink, unsure of why this was so hard for her. "We're sort of together."

Brooke let out a peal of laughter, "You're kidding right?" When Haley just stared at her, Brooke laughed even harder. "Wow, Haley and here I thought I knew you so well, but talk about bad taste."

Haley squinted at her confused, "What? Wait, but you just said you wanted me to-"

"Oh, you think I actually want you to help me with Lucas because I want him?" She shook her head, and took a drink of her bottle. "I admit the guys' cute, and he's a good kisser, but hello...sooo not my type."

"How would you know that? Brooke did you-"

"Did I kiss your boyfriend? Apparently so, but I didn't know he was your boyfriend Haley. Again, insert the bad taste comment here. Although now that I think about it, you two do go well together." She paused, catching on to the look on her face. "Wait he didn't tell you?"

Haley's face fell, and Brooke actually felt bad for a moment, but she brushed it off quickly. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, he pushed me away and told me there was a girl he liked and that was that."

"When was this?"

"Last night, but look that's not relevant right now and I'm sure you two can sort it out later, but like I said I need you to help me."

"You're asking me to help you hook up with the guy that I like?" Haley stared at her aghast. "What is this Brooke? Pay back for what I did to you? A way to even out the score or something?"

"It is, but not for you and me." Draining her drink, she picked up another bottle as she elaborated. "Nathan really screwed me over Haley, and he did with the person I hate the most and now I just want him to have a taste of his own medicine, see how it feels like."

"Brooke, I don't know..."

"Look, all I want is to rub it in his face, flirt with the guy in front of him a little. That's it, I promise. Then he's all yours."

"Don't you think Lucas will find not only weird, but awkward the fact that you, my best friend is suddenly interested in him?"

"Duh, and that's where you come in, I need you to talk to him and let him in. I'm sure he'll enjoy pissing Nathan off too, so it's a win-win."

"Lucas is not that type of guy."

"Are you going to talk to him or not?"

"I'm not sure about this Brooke, and to be honest, I don't like the idea at all. This could just end up in a huge mess." Haley replied, not giving her a yes or no. "You know, Mahatma Gandhi wrote that an eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind."

"Yeah,"Brooke scoffed, "Like I'm going to listen to the man who referred to himself as Upper House and his gay lover Lower House."

Haley stared at her in surprise for a second, before she burst out laughing and it wasn't long before Brooke joined in.

**A/N's So there it is, the latest chapter, sorry it took me so long to update and also on a side note, I'm sorry if Jake wasn't in this chapter, but I promise that he will be in the next one and the kiss with Brooke will be addressed at least in his perspective for now. Also, more on Peyton/Julian. So tell me what you guys think!**


	29. Chapter 29

**I'm sorry, I love this story so much and I've invested so much time and thought into it that the whole thing is completely mapped out. From this Chapter till Chapter 120, which is where it ends. And I don't want to see it just left hanging, so I promise to try my best to update it as much as possible. But that also means that my other two stories are on Hiatus for the time being. Please review so I can know you guys are still following this story. (Some of the stuff on Julian, aka his favorite movies, actors was a little tweaked by me. Personally, I'm a huge 40's, 50's, 60's movie fan, so I projected this onto him.)**

_...Before I sleep and after I wake up and all the hours in between, you occupy my mind. So, practically every moment of the day you are on my mind..._

Pausing while leafing through the thick sketchbook spread across his lap, Julian let his fingertips trace this particular page. The ones before it were doubtful, unsure and innocent even. But the ones after where nothing but angry and hurt and the pages were tear-stained. If felt like this one met in the middle, between the love and hope and the hate and the anger.

Taking a deep breath, he stole a quick glance at the sleeping beauty next to him. She had stopped fighting him earlier, and now she lay sleeping peacefully next to him. Her golden curls were sprawled across her pillow and her eyes were closed, her chest rising with each steady breath she took.

Swallowing thickly, his attention returned to the old sketchbook in his lap. Looking through it, he'd only really begun to realize the effect he'd had on the girl next to him. He'd begun to realize how deep her love had ran and how much hope she'd had for the two of them and how he had screwed it up completely.

And it broke his heart.

_...I thought you might be the exception...but you proved me wrong, because people always leave..._

He'd told her once that her drawings were like looking directly at her soul, and it hurt him more than words could express to know, that after he left, he'd left her broken, alone and confused.

Taking another deep breath, he closed the sketchbook and let it drop to the side. He wasn't sure he could take looking through much of it anymore. Fighting back tears, he settled himself in next to Peyton, his hand reaching out to caress her soft cheek. Dropping a sweet, lingering kiss on her forehead, he whispered. "I'm sorry Sad Girl. I promise you that I won't ever hurt you like that anymore. I'm here, and I won't leave you ever again. I never stopped loving you."

Stirring slightly, Peyton sighed softly as she began to awaken. Shifting on her side, her hand ran along the soft skin and muscled tone of Julian's arm, her fingers coming to intertwine with his. "Hey."

Pushing away the sadness he felt, his hand entangled in her curls and he smiled at her. "Hey Sleeping Beauty."

She blushed slightly, her stomach fluttering at the way he was gazing at her. It amazed her how after all this time apart, he could still affect her like that. She couldn't decide whether it was a good thing or not. But nevertheless, she couldn't ignore the one thought that had been plaguing her since his appearance.

"Julian?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you really come back?"

Playing with her hand that was interlocked with his, he was silent for a couple of minutes, not sure of how to approach the whole situation. Turning to face her, he let out a sigh and he gave her a sad smile.

"I didn't get into film school."

Sucking in a breath, she closed her eyes momentarily. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He whispered, running his fingers through her golden locks. "Maybe it was a blessing in disguise."

"What makes you say that?"

"Something my Dad said at Graduation. He told me that the next thing I did, the next choice I made would define me, define my life. And you know what I thought of? All I could think of was you. And how for the past two years I've missed you so much, it felt like sometimes I couldn't breathe and how ever since I met you all those years ago, not a day has gone by that I haven't thought of you Peyton. So when I got that rejection letter from USC, I just knew I had to see you."

Looking down momentarily at his words, an undeniable rush of familiar affection rushed through her and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She was still very confused, and still very much angry with him. But she also couldn't deny that the part of her heart that had closed down, had opened up again with full force, almost surprising her with its intensity. She couldn't deny to herself that his return meant something to her, that his return had awoken that love that she thought she'd buried. Leaning towards him, bringing a hand to his cheek, she whispered.

"So, what happens now? And what does that mean for us?"

* * *

"I'm telling you Keith, I don't know what has gotten into him lately." Karen sighed, wiping down the counter and looking around the near empty cafe.

Nodding, Keith gave her a small smile. "It surprised me too. Lucas is not that kind of guy, but then again the situation between he and Nathan is not the best. Do you want me to talk to him?"

Karen looked up and frowned, thinking to herself. "I just think that..that there's something else scratching beneath the surface. Something else that's bothering him and he's not telling and I don't know how to reach out to him. And I hate it. I just wish he-" Pausing at the jingling of the door being opened, she stopped and stared at the unsure, somewhat shy girl coming in and looking around.

Turning to see what had gotten her attention, Keith smiled as Haley noticed them and waved, coming to stand next to him.

"Hey Ms. Roe." She greeted pleasantly, smiling brightly and sitting in the stool next to Keith. "Mr. Scott."

Laughing, he shook his head "Keith."

"Right. Mr. Keith," She smiled at him. "Mr. is a sign of respect."

He shared a smile with Karen, before turning to look back at the younger girl. She certainly was beautiful, and he'd always thought that she was the sweetest girl. He knew of her, due to Lucas's crush since it seemed like forever, but he still remembered her as a little girl. The few times he'd been around Nathan growing up, the blonde seemed to have had a permanent fixture by his side, from his Little League games to just being around the Scott mansion. But now it seemed like things had flipped around, as she recently seemed to always be around the _other_ Scott brother.

"Mom, I'm done with the-" Lucas came in from behind the kitchen, stopping surprised when he saw the blonde. "Haley. Hey."

Tucking a strand of loose hair behind her ear, she smiled, a faint blush brushing her cheeks. "Hey you."

Karen, catching the look between the two, and sensing a pending conversation, cleared her throat, looking down at her wristwatch momentarily. "Lucas, honey why don't you take 30?"

Smiling gratefully over at her, Lucas nodded and beckoned for Haley to follow him. Excusing herself from the older couple, she followed him out the back and up some stairs that she assumed led them to the roof.

When they got there, Lucas flipped the lights and she gasped in awe at the sight before her. The small clearing was strung with tiki lights and Japanese lanterns and it lit the space around them, making the night twinkle.

Catching the look on her face, Lucas smiled. He was taken in by the beautiful way her eyes sparkled beneath the lights, and how her golden locks almost glistened. Taking a breath, he had to look away at her beauty to control the fast beating of his heart.

Smiling, she turned to him as she motioned towards one end of the roof, where a space had been cleared for miniature golf. "Is this all you?"

Sticking his hands in his pockets, he nodded. "Well actually, the lights were all Peyton's doing. She hates mini-golf and late at night when we had nothing to do after closing shop, I'd play my 'stupid, pointless game' her words not mine, and she'd draw."

"I didn't know you liked mini-golf." She walked over and picked up one of the golf sticks. "You're just full of surprises aren't you Mr. Scott?"

"Impressive." He commented, watching as she took a small swing towards one of the holes, and it went in smoothly. Coming up behind her, he placed his hands lightly on her waist, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "Now who's the one full of surprises?"

Sucking in a breath, she closed her eyes momentarily, before turning in his arms to face him. She laid her palms lightly on his broad shoulders, amazed like always at how much his close proximity affected her. She looked up at him, and her heart beat furiously in her chest at the intense look in his beautiful blue depths.

Unable to help himself, he pulled her against him, his head tilting down to connect her luscious mouth to his. Her lips fell open under the slight pressure and she met her tongue with his, sighing happily.

Breaking away from her, he pressed his forehead against hers, leaning down to kiss her quickly before he pulled back to gaze at her. Her cheeks were a little red and her hazel eyes sparkled happily. She looked beautiful in the dim light and he brought a hand to her face gently tracing the outline of her jaw. He was suddenly overwhelmed by their connection and the feelings she evoked in him.

"Haley I lo-" his voice cracked slightly and he winced losing his resolve and looking away. She stared up at him questioningly and he shook his head, embarrassed at what he'd almost let slip. He'd scared her away once before with proclamations of feelings that he knew were too soon for her and he didn't want to scare her away again. Not when he finally had her, because god knew there was no way he was letting her go.

Stepping back from him slightly, she took a hold of his hands and took a deep breath. "Lucas, we need to talk."

"Okay..." He squinted at her, suddenly concerned with the way she was fidgeting and biting her lip nervously. Pulling her lightly, he sat them down on the bench table that Peyton usually used to sketch. "What's going on? Is everything ok?"

* * *

_Moving on is hard to do, this I know._

_I've tried so hard myself, but yet it seems like every time it always comes back to you..._

_I wish that you could see, just how much you mean to me,_

_and that nobody else will love you just quite like I do..._

_It seems so wrong for you to be, so hung up on what could be.._

_If only you'll come to see, that he is so wrong for you and only I could be that one for you..._

_You're meant for me, just like I'm meant for you..._

"Wow, that was beautiful."

Momentarily startled, Jake looked up and found himself looking into Brooke's amazed smile. Shaking himself quickly out of the daze he'd been in, lost in his own music, he stood up and went to greet her in a hug.

"Hey Dimples, how are you? Are you feeling better?"

She smiled at him and nodded. She had grown up with him, and he'd always been one of her best friends, but watching him, singing in that beautiful voice of his had really caught her off guard for some reason. She couldn't explain it, but she felt like she could watch him strum his guitar and hear his beautiful voice forever.

"Yeah, a little hung-over, and more than a little embarrassed for last night. Haley told me everything that happened." Her smile deepened, and she reached for his hand. "Always the hero huh Jagielsky?"

Ducking his head down to cover the blush that colored his cheeks, he shrugged in an attempt to look casual. "Well, someone has to save you." He joked good-naturedly. Pushing away the constant thought that had been nagging him since last night, he cleared his throat. She obviously didn't remember and he didn't want to further embarrass her. And if he was honest with himself, he didn't know how he felt about that just yet. "So, you and Haley huh? How did that go?"

"It wasn't that bad." She admitted, going over to his comforter and plopping down. "I may have had a few colorful terms for her, and may have kicked her out a couple of times, but we both know how stubborn Haley can be."

She was trying to be nonchalant, but Jake knew her, and she couldn't hide the fond smile on her face from him. He smiled as well, and went to go sit next to her, wrapping an arm around her. "Well, I'm glad. It was about time anyways."

Shoving him playfully, she laughed. "Don't gloat, it's unflattering and besides, it's not a big deal. We're not...it's not the same. Yet. Or maybe ever. I don't know, we'll see how it goes."

* * *

_When I was younger, younger than before _  
_I never saw the truth hanging from the door _  
_And now I'm older see it face to face _  
_And now I'm older gotta get up clean the place_.

Sighing as she snuggled up to Julian's warm solid from, Peyton's emerald eyes took in the early morning Sun rising over the glistening, soothing waters of the ocean.

"You cold?" He whispered, smiling down at the way she held onto him.

"Not anymore." She smiled up at him, her breath halting in her chest at the look he was giving her. Turning back towards the water, she took a sip of the warm coffee in her hand and she closed her eyes, letting out a contented sigh. The sun was breaking dawn on Monday morning and she and Julian had escaped the confinements of her home, which they'd spent all weekend holed up in. They'd spent most of Saturday evening, well into Sunday morning, engaging in an old routine of theirs. Watching a marathon of Julian's favorite movies, mostly Marlon Brando and Paul Newman classics and afterwards discussing the art behind the film and the music and backdrops often used. One of the very first things that Peyton had realized shortly after meeting him, was that he was a 1950's movie guy. He was incredibly smart, and incredibly passionate about film. It was one of the reasons that had drawn her to him. His passion for film, ran as deep as her passion for music and art and it was something that had connected them since the very beginning.

The latter half of Sunday, they'd just leisured around, shutting off the rest of the world and as Sunday came to a close, Peyton realized that she was almost dreading Monday morning and leaving Julian's side. She'd decided she wasn't quite ready to and had decided to skip school, against his protests and here they were, and truthfully, she couldn't be more content.

_And I was green, greener than the hill_  
_Where the flowers grew and the sun shone still _  
_Now I'm darker than the deepest sea _  
_Just hand me down, give me a place to be_

"Do you remember when we first met?" Julian whispered to her, bringing her out of her thoughts. His arm was slung over her shoulder and he was holding her close, his hand running up and down her arm to warm her up.

Letting out a small laugh, she looked up at him. "How could I ever forget?"

_Storming into Tree Hill Record Shop, Peyton barely masking her tears didn't even manage a hello to Max. The record shop owner gave her a knowing soft smile as she went straight to a section in the back. He'd become quite fond of her in all the time he'd been in Tree Hill. They barely knew each other, and hardly ever spoke but he'd come understand the young beauty and he could tell much from the way she was feeling based on the album she purchased. Today would be no exception, so he hung back and watched her as she tried to subtly brush her tears away as she browsed the aisle in look for what she was looking for._

_He wasn't the only one to notice her. 17-year old Julian Baker was browsing the aisles as well, looking the album his father had sent him for when the visibly upset beauty's entrance distracted him. Pausing his search, he stared at her curiously, and with a bit of concern. She was about 15, and even from where he quietly stood, he could hear the tears she wasn't bothering to hide. Finding the album he'd been sent for, he picked up the vinyl copy and casually made his way towards the curly blonde. _

_Peyton made her way down the aisle, upset that she hadn't yet found what she was looking for. It's not like every time she went to the record store she went with a list in mind. Depending on her mood, she would browse until she found something that could perfectly fit her mood at the moment. She thought of her best friend and wished that she had accepted Lucas's and Karen's invitation to go down to Charlotte to visit some of Karen's family. But she had stayed back, because her Dad had promised her the entire summer. And not even a week in and he had gotten called into a new project, leaving her with money and disappointment and nothing but empty promises of making it up to her. This summer was going to royally suck. She was all alone, and angry and sad and really missing her best friend at the moment. Blinking away another onslaught of tears, she slammed her hand down on the bin in frustration._

_"You know if you break those, you're going to have to pay for them." A voice called out behind her and she swiveled around, narrowing her eyes at the sight in front of her. A guy a couple of years older than her was staring at her rather amused and she felt a wave of annoyance course through her. Never mind that he was extremely handsome._

_"Don't you know you're not supposed to talk to strangers?" She bit out, turning back and ignoring him. "Didn't mommy ever teach you to mind your own business?"_

_Letting out an amused laugh, he shook his head and studied her further. Up close, he realized that he had under-estimated her beauty. Her head was a mass of wild golden ringlets, but despite the frown on her delicate features and the cold look in those beautiful emerald eyes, they were like a halo, making her look almost angelic. "My, my such anger." He grinned, "So what's your name Snappy?"_

_"I'm not angry." She returned hotly, her tone betraying her statement. "Now leave me the hell alone, because I'm not interested." She returned to her search, willing him to go away. Didn't he get the clue? _

_Laughing, he leaned his hand on the banister and she shut her eyes at the sound. "I'm not trying to hit on you sweetheart." He grinned. "I'm just curious as to why such a beautiful girl like you is so angry."_

_Looking up into his eyes, her heart did a funny little jump in her chest. Through her anger, she could appreciate that he was in fact extremely good looking. And he was giving her a smile that should really be considered illegal._

_His eyes softened a bit when she looked up at him and his heart twisted slightly in his chest. Her attitude and her words were clearly betraying the sadness inflicted in her beautiful emerald green depths. Before he could comment, she looked down at his album in slight disdain. "Daydream believer? Let me guess, you're the seemingly tough guy in The Breakfast Club with a hidden, soft heart right? Secretly in love with the Prom Queen."_

_"And you're the basket case right?" He returned smoothly, unfazed by her biting tone. "Angry at the entire world."_

_"I told you I'm not angry." She was thoroughly annoyed now. Who did this guy think he was? _

_He looked down at the record she was holding in her hand and he plucked it from her hands, staring down at Pink Moon by Nick Drake thoughtfully. "Nope, not angry. Just the saddest girl in the world." He gave her another heart-stopping grin as he handed her back the album. "See you around Sad girl."_

"You were _such_ an arrogant jerk." Peyton groaned, pushing Julian away playfully. "I've never hated anyone that much, so quickly."

He laughed, "I'm honored then. You were such an angry little thing."

"C'mon, stop." She complained, "I wasn't that bad."

"Oh, yes you were." He laughed again, at the glare she was sending his way. "But it's okay. You had me at leave me the hell alone." He teased her, leaning down to drop a soft kiss on her cheek.

_And I was strong, strong in the sun_  
_I thought I'd see when day is done _  
_Now I'm weaker than the palest blue _  
_Oh, so weak in this need for you._

* * *

_She uh, she kind of wants to fake date you._

Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Lucas slumped down in his seat. Fiddling with the book in front of him, he couldn't keep his concentration on it if he tried.

_I know what I'm asking you is a bit...strange and yes ridiculous, but Lucas...I don't know. Brooke asked and me and her are in this weird state still, and I promised her that I would at least try. You don't have to do this._

Sighing, he pulled out his phone and scrolled down, finding Peyton's name. _Where are you? We need to talk._

Closing his phone, he sat up straight and pulled the book back towards him, but after a couple of minutes, he slammed it shut in frustration. Who was he kidding? He wasn't going to get anywhere with that today. Not when his head was such a confused mess.

The gist of his and Haley's conversation is running through his head and he honestly doesn't know what to think of the whole situation. The whole thing was a complete joke, and he couldn't believe that Haley wanted to subject him to it. And the one person he knew could help him understand hadn't shown up to school today. And since he'd been grounded all weekend, he hadn't seen or talked to his best friend. And that was another thing that was bothering him. All morning he'd heard comments here and there about something that had gone down at Tim's party. Something about a showdown, and Nathan kissing Peyton. Normally, he wasn't one to buy into rumors, but it wasn't just one person that was commenting on it. He wanted to get Peyton's side of the story, before he completely lost it on Nathan.

Sauntering into the library during her free period, Brooke grinned as she spotted one lonely Lucas Scott ahead of her. "Hey Broody." She called out cheerfully, taking the seat in front of him, startling him.

Raising an eyebrow at the nickname, he gave her a strange look. "Hey...cheery."

"The Winter of our discontent...hmm." Brooke grinned, grabbing the book. She lifted an eyebrow. "Sound kind of kinky."

"Not even close." He shook his head, letting out a small laugh. "Have you ever even read it, Brooke?"

"Reading is for people who wish they were somewhere else." She shrugged, studying the book, then setting it aside.

"Mark Twain."

"I'm sorry what?" She tilted her head and gave him a weird look. "Uh, no. Brooke Davis. I should be offended if a really hot guy confuses me with someone else." She smiled cheekily. "I thought I was a legend at this school."

He smiled, and shook his head. "You just quoted Mark Twain."

"Oh." Her grin deepened and she shrugged again. "Haley rubs off on me sometimes." She scrunched her nose cutely. "But don't tell anyone that. Tutor girl is such a nerd. Ew." Seeing the look on his face, she grinned. "Oh, but no offense. "

Sighing, he rubbed his hand over eyes and he gave her a somewhat uncomfortable look. "Brooke, Haley talked to me and I-"

"And isn't that the best idea you've ever heard?" Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she flashed him her mega-watt smile. "I'm a genius right?"

"I-I don't think that's such a good idea Brooke."

"Non-sense." She waved him off, standing up. "We'll work out the details later hot-stuff." She leaned down to place a quick kiss on his cheek and she winked. "I'll see you tomorrow at the Boy Toy Auction." In the blink of an eye, she was up and about, sauntering away from the library.

Slightly dazed, Lucas could only shake his head as he watched the perky, beautiful brunette cheerleader disappear from sight. Feeling overwhelmed, he was hit by an almost dreadful feeling. He was going to be hit by Hurricane Brooke, and all he could hope was that it wouldn't completely destroy everything around them.

* * *

Rolling her eyes as she came across her locker, Haley yanked the flyer posted on it and balled it up, grumbling under her breath. Slinking in next to her, Jake laughed as he caught the look on her face. Handing her the Starbucks drink, he leaned against the locker next to hers, reaching to tug a strand of golden lock playfully.

"Rough morning?"

"You could say that again." She shook her head, and took a sip of the heavenly drink, instantly melting away her grouchiness. "Thanks J."

"No problem." He returned her smile and gave her a soft look. "What's going on? You ok?"

"It's a long story." She sighed.

"I've got time, you can unload."

"God, these things are everywhere." She paused, looking down at the Homecoming flyer on her hand. "As if they don't shove it down our throats weeks before. What a waste of paper honestly."

"Right. But that's not what's bothering you is it?"

"No." She admitted, taking another sip from her favorite drink. "It's stupid, really. You know about me and Lucas right?"

Smiling, he nodded. He wasn't blind, and anyone could see the past few weeks that the two of them were obviously into each other. "You really like him don't you?"

Smiling fondly as she thought of the other blonde, she nodded. "More than I ever thought I would."

"So, then what's the problem? You like him, and it's more than obvious that he likes you too."

"Yeah, well the problem is Brooke likes him too." She avoided his eyes, and he froze, not sure he heard her correctly.

"Come again?"

"That's what she said?" She offered weakly, and he shook his head laughing, knowing she had picked that up from Brooke.

"Hales.."

"No, it's not like that Jake." Fiddling with her drink, she frowned. "At least I don't think so. It's...she wants to use Lucas to get back at Nathan."

"Yeah, that sounds like Brooke all-right." He sighed, "Does Lucas know?"

"Yeah, and that's the problem. I told him last night, and he was less than happy. Not that I blame him. I mean what kind of girl asks the guy she likes to fake date her best friend?"

"The kind of girl that loves said best friend and still feels guilty over something that had nothing to do with her." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Said girl is willing to do anything to get back in good terms with said best friend. Maybe, even risk the guy she likes."

Leaning against him gratefully, she sighed glad to have an amazing best friend like Jake, who was about the most understanding person she'd ever met. "Crazy right?"

"It doesn't have to be." He replied gently, dropping a quick kiss on her forehead. "Talk to Brooke, I mean really talk to her, before you lose the guy you really like or before this thing turns into a mess that it doesn't need to be."

* * *

Stopping slightly to fill his lungs with air, Nathan leaned down and rested his arms on his knees. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself back up again and reached for the ball again. Running down the court, he shot up into the air into a perfect slam-dunk.

"Impressive. But what are you still doing here Scott?"

Ignoring his coach, Nathan rolled his eyes as he prepared himself for another lay-up. Whitey would never understand anyways.

"Never mind. I'm glad you're still here. I wanted to run something by you. I'm tinkering with the offense, so from now on you'll be playing more of small forward."

"Forget it." Nathan snapped, giving him an incredulous look. "I'm the shooting guard."

Narrowing his eyes, Whitey took a couple of steps towards him and yanked the ball from his grasp. "That's funny. I thought I was the coach." He barked, shaking his head at his most talented player. "As a matter of fact, you can call me that...and I'll call you "small forward." Shooting him back the ball, Whitey crossed his arms in front of him. "I'm still the coach and this is still my team Scott, so watch it with the attitude."

"Whatever you need to believe old man." Nathan yelled out as Whitey made his way out of the gym, leaving him seething behind. Gripping the ball tightly in his hands, he threw it as hard as he could at the door that Whitey had just exited out of. _Damn it!_

As if really needed this right now. Fuck, Dan was going to kill him. Who the hell did Whitey think he was anyways? Going over towards the bleachers, her reached into his duffle bag to pull out his cell phone. Scrolling through his contacts quickly, he pulled up a name and waited impatiently for the other person to pick up.

"Hey man, it's me. Yeah, listen I'm going to need a favor...Yeah. I know. ...Same stuff from last time. ...You do?" He paused, and smiled. "Okay, thanks Daunte."

* * *

"Another A, I have to say I'm impressed Felix." Smiling brightly, Haley handed Felix back his latest test paper. "Not bad for only 2 weeks of my help."

"Well, you did say that you're a miracle worker." He teased her as they stood up from their latest tutoring session at the library. "Look at you, turning a real dumb-ass into an A student."

Frowning slightly at his words, she shook her head and rebutted that. "You're not dumb Felix. I admit sometimes your actions say otherwise, but you're not dumb. You can accomplish anything you put your mind to. Yes, even becoming an A student. You just have to believe in yourself."

Slightly taken aback, he stared at her. He had said that jokingly, but a part of him had always believed it. Growing up as the child of a Doctor and Army General he had heard his entire life what an utter joke and screw up he was. And to hear Haley say that, in that sweet, honest way of hers, had his heart clenching in his chest in a way it never had before. Clearing his throat, he tried to brush off quickly, grinning. "Why, thank you . Damn, I feel all motivated and full of self-esteem now, I feel like I can go out and conquer the world." She rolled her eyes, and he tapped his head. "Who knew all this senseless knowledge could do that."

Shaking her head, she grinned back, knowing that he was trying to make a joke of it, but she could tell that her words had affected him. "You know one of these days you're going to realize that you're actually going to need all this "senseless knowledge."

He smirked, "Well that's why I'll keep you around then. To keep reminding me."

"Nice try." She rolled her eyes and laughed, grabbing the rest of her books and putting them away in her book bag. "Listen, why don't we-"

Whatever she was going to say next was cut abruptly, because in one swift movement she suddenly found herself in his arms, his lips pressing against hers.

**The Jake/Brooke scene was a bit short, and it's because I'm sort of stuck and frustrated with their situation. It's like, I know where I want it to go, but I can't get it there. I'm working on that, and I promise their scenes will get better and there will be plenty more coming up. Their storyline is one in which I want to take my time with, it will be a nice, slow build-up. And the same goes for Nathan/Peyton, but then also that's not to say that just because I'm taking my time with NP/BJ that BN is completely over :)and what do you guys think of Peyton/Julian? Julian may or may not be in this story for the long-haul, but in the meantime pretty please review and let me know what couples you guys are still rooting for. Until next time!**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N's Here is the next one, it's short because the Chapter 31 jumps right into the day of the boy toy auction and there will be tons going on so it will be a pretty long chapter. But I hope you guys still like this short chapter and don't forget to review, thanks!**

It took Haley less than a second to realize what was going on, and she immediately reacted. Pushing her hands onto Felix's broad chest, she pushed him back forcefully as her mouth twisted in anger.

"Hal-"

Pulling her hand back, she slapped him across the cheek in the classic disapproval manner.

_Ouch _rubbing his hand across his already welted cheek, Felix could only manage an amused grin as he stared at the infuriated beauty in front of him.

"That is it!" Haley fumed, pushing past him. "We are done here Felix!"

Sighing in frustration, he went after her, ignoring the perplexed looks around him. "Haley, wait."

She paid him no heed, and she walked ahead briskly, obviously upset. "Haley!"

Grabbing her by the arm, he swung her around and he stopped, startled when he noticed tears brimming behind her beautiful honey depths. "Hal-"

"No, stop!" She broke from his grasp. "I am _through_ with you constantly humiliating me!"

"I'm sorry, that's not-"

"I don't want to hear it Felix!" She shook her head, blinking away her angry tears. "You know, I _really_ took a chance when I decided to tutor you. Against everything and everyone that told me that I really shouldn't, but I did. I gave you a chance, and for a moment there I thought maybe you weren't so bad. But you proved me wrong! Once again the really smart girl is really stupid."

"I don't think you're-"

"Save it." She replied angrily. "Find yourself someone else to take pity on you, because I am done!"

She moved to walk away and he took a deep breath to keep his growing frustration in check. "You're a coward Haley James."

Stopping, she swiveled back around. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." It was his turn to get angry, and he took two long strides towards her until he was withing breathing distance. "You're a coward." He hissed, grabbing her by the elbow and bringing her close enough to whisper in her ear. "Because I think the real reason you're mad is because not only did you let me kiss you, but you_ liked _it."

"You are completely delusional!" She cried, pulling away from him. "I did _not_ kiss you back and I sure as hell didn't like it!"

Rolling his eyes, he pulled her flush against him again, and planted another sizzling kiss on her lips before she knew what hit her. Feeling her slightly waver and kiss him back, he couldn't help the satisfied smirk from appearing on his lips.

"You were saying?"

* * *

_Know that I love you_  
_Know I don't care_  
_Know that I see you_  
_Know I'm not there._

Humming along with the music, Peyton's hand idly ran around her new sketch. Pausing, she looked at it smiling, noting that for what seemed in forever it wasn't her usual dark, gloomy sketch. It made her feel a bit peculiar, but she drew what she felt and Julian had once told her that looking at her drawings was like looking at her soul. And from the looks of her newest sketch, her soul was at peace, her soul was happy.

Letting out a contented sigh, her pencil drew in the witty grin on Julian's face, and her face broke out into a happy smile at the sight.

"Peyton!"

Jumping, startled, she looked on with wide eyes as her best friend stormed into her room, a look of pending indignant rage on his handsome features.

"Lucas! What the-"

"Tell me that you didn't kiss Nathan Scott." He ignored her protest, giving her his infamous sideways glare. "Tell me that it's just a rumor."

Freezing slightly, she gaped at him. "W-what?"

"Peyton!" He exclaimed, taking in the look in her eyes. "Oh, god. It's true isn't it? What...why.."He sputtered, raking his hand through his blonde locks. "What in the world would posses you to kiss Nathan? You _know_ how I feel about him!"

"Who's Nathan?"

At that they both swiveled around, and Peyton gave Julian a helpless look, while her blonde counterpart stood shell-shocked staring at Julian in disbelief. Alternating looks of confusion between his best friend and the other guy in the room, who stood in just a bathroom towel, Luca's angry voice rang out.

"Peyt, what the _hell_ is going on? And what is _he _doing here?"

Dropping the sketch on her desk, Peyton stood up and went over to Julian. Looking back at her best friend's disbelieving glare, she sighed. "Lucas-"

"No." He shook his head in anger, at the protective stand his best friend had taken next to Julian."Seriously? After everything that he put you through, he returns and just like that you guys are back together? Is _he_ why you've been skipping school?"

"It was _one _day Lucas, and yes, he's back."

"For how long this time?" He asked in a snotty tone, his mouth twisting up in distaste.

Flinching slightly at that, Peyton looked down at her feet, afraid herself of Julian's answer. Julian, caught between the suddenly guarded look in Peyton's eyes, and the blazing anger in Lucas's eyes didn't know how to answer that. Truth be told, he had put off answering that question to himself since he first made the decision to go to Tree Hill.

Taking a deep breath, Julian reached out for Peyton's hand, bringing her closer to him and Lucas looked away at the sight. "Look, Lucas I really don't know." He admitted, squeezing Peyton's hand for support. "Uh, there is a lot things that I left pending in California, and it was kind of a last minute decision, but I don't regret it. And I know that you're angry with me for the way things ended last time I was here. You have every right to be, and so does Peyton. So am I actually, believe me I regret the way I left, but you have to believe me that it was never my intention to hurt Peyton. And to be honest, it's comforting to know that you care so deeply for her and that you don't want to see her hurt. Believe me man, that's the last thing I'll ever do."Clearing his throat, he sent a soft smile Peyton's way. "I love her Lucas. Hurting her is not an option."

Letting out a sigh, Lucas didn't know if he believed Julian. Seeing him brought forth all the anger from two years ago. He loved Peyton dearly, and she was one of the most important people in his life, his favorite one. His sister. And he would never forget the heartbreak and anger he'd found her drowning in when he came back that summer. It had completely broken his heart to see his girl so utterly broken. And he swore that if he ever saw Julian Baker's face, he would make sure he paid for all the pain he'd caused her. But looking at his best friend just now, so openly vulnerable and dare he say at peace with the mere presence of the same boy who had broken her heart, made Lucas ache on her behalf.

"I'm not happy with this." He finally said, a hint of warning in his voice. "Because after everything that happened, I really don't like you Julian. And I don't trust you." He caught Peyton's pleading look. "But for whatever reason, Peyton really does and for right now, that's enough for me. But I'm warning you man, If I so much as see a tear on her face caused by you, it's your face. And I mean it."

"That won't happen, Lucas." Julian shot Peyton another adoring grin. "I love her, and I'm really happy to be with her again right now. I won't' mess it up this time."

"Whatever, you've been warned." Lucas grumbled, sick of the soft looks the two kept giving each other. "Peyt, I'll see you later at the boy toy auction. And don't think this means that I've forgotten about you and Nathan. We'll leave that talk for later."

"Wait what?" Julian turned to Peyton, a puzzled look on his handsome face once Lucas exited. "What's a boy toy auction and again, who the hell is Nathan?"

* * *

"Pushing it are we?" Dan raised an eyebrow as he came into the weight room where Nathan had been bench pressing for the last hour. "Y'know, your arms are going to be dead by next week if you keep this up."

"Yeah, you wish." Nathan let out a huff, pushing for 10 more.

"No. I don't." Dan sighed, looking at his son in slight worry. "I would love for you to break my record Nathan. I just don't think you will."

Setting the weights back into their place, Nathan sat up, his face red with not only exertion but pent up anger. "You would really like that wouldn't you Dad?" He snapped, "But you know what? I will. I _know_ I will and you'll see. And you'll be sorry for even doubting me."

"Yeah, well we'll see about that." Dan snorted, giving a small laugh. "Now, clean up. Dinner's almost ready."

Clenching his teeth together as his father exited, Nathan stood up and went over to his duffel bag. Grabbing a small case, he looked up to make sure his Dad was out of sight and he opened it, grabbing one of the small contents and popping it in his mouth

_Yeah, we'll see Dad._

* * *

"So..." Lucas cleared his throat, giving Haley an uncertain smile. "You're picking Nathan for the boy toy auction? Is this because of the whole Brooke picking me deal, in order to get back at him?"

"Yes, and no." Haley began, stopping their game of miniature golf by setting aside the putting stick. "I don't mind that Brooke will pick you, honestly. Maybe then, she'll see how completely ridiculous her plan who knows, maybe the two of you will actually become friends." She gave him a bright smile. "But still, I'm going to talk to talk to her tonight and I'm going to tell her that this needs to stop and that she can't just play with people like that. And as for Nathan..." She sighed, and she pushed back her bangs from her eyes. "I just...I miss him. And I know that the two of you don't exactly well, I know your situation is complicated, but I grew up with him Lucas. And the jerk that you know is not really the true Nathan that I grew up with, and consider one of my best friends. Maybe tomorrow, I can finally make things right with him."

"I know you miss him, Haley." Coming up closer to her, he took her hands in his and gazed at her adoringly. "And that's okay, really. I know that despite the history between me and Nathan, and the way he acts, that he still means a lot to you. And I admire you wanting to fix things between the two of you. I hope it really pans out the way you want it to."

"Me, too." She admitted, gazing up at him just as adoringly. "Thank you for understanding, Luke. I really like that about you, you're a really wonderful person and I wish Nathan could see that. Who knows? Maybe after tomorrow I can convince him to give you a chance."

He let out a laugh, but it wasn't mocking. "I really doubt that Hales. But you're so cute for wanting that to happen."

"Cute?" She gasped, and slapped him across the chest, pretending to be offended. "I'll have you know Lucas Scott that stranger things have happened."

"Maybe so, but this one...I don't know." He admitted, smiling as he pulled her in closer. "But I really like that about _you_. Your beautiful belief that anything is possible. It's truly inspiring."

"Inspiring huh?" She smiled at him coyly, her hand coming to wrap around his neck and her voice coming out in a soft whisper. "You want to know what else is inspiring."

"Uh-huh?" His voice came out in a husky whisper, and his eyes fluttered close as his mouth drew near hers. Wrapping his arms tightly around her waist as their lips came in contact, he didn't hesitate to deepen the kiss, lost in the feel of her against him.

Letting out a small moan, as he pulled her even closer, she let herself lose herself in him, trying to push a nagging feeling to the back of her mind. They stood there for several minutes, their kisses growing more passionately and more frantic by the minute. Finally, unable to keep the nagging feeling away, Haley pushed him away abruptly.

"Lucas, wait."

Staring at her flushed cheeks, he rubbed his lips together, his heart pounding in his chest from their previous heated kiss. "Haley, I'm sorry, I just, when we're together I get carried away but I don't want to make you feel like-"

"No, no, no. It's not that. I have something to tell you." She took a deep breath, her brown eyes usually warm, guarded and her stance nervous. "I...Felix kissed me." She blurted out, wincing at the look on his face. "And I..didn't exactly push him away."


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N Like I said in the last chapter, this one jumps right into the day of the boy toy auction and there will be a lot going on, so much in fact that I had to break it up into 2 chapters. Hope you guys don't mind, and don't forget to pretty please review!**

"So, what happened with you and blondie?" Tim asked, slapping Tyler in the back and winking at him. "Did you hit that or what?"

"Tim, just ask if they hooked up." Nathan rolled his eyes at his friend. They were posted up by the gym, as was per usual first thing in the morning. He was tired and cranky, as he had stayed up an extra 2 hours to squeeze in as much cardio and push ups as he could. The big game was coming up soon, and he couldn't slip if he wanted to beat his father's record. He was already on edge with everything that was going on, and for some reason the thought of Tyler and Peyton was really pissing him off.

"Nah man." Tyler shrugged, trying to downplay the situation. "But it's cool, it was never going to work out anyways."

Tim shook his head at him, dissapointed. "You losing your A-game on me man? If I was you, I would've totally hit that."

"You would sleep with just about anybody." Nathan retorted, annoyed at both of them. He turned his attention back to Tyler. "But yo, Dim is right. What's up with you? Did you not even try?"

"I did try to get at her, and she knows what's up." Tyler admitted. "But lay off man, like I said it was never going to work out. She just likes someone else, it's no big deal."

Nathan's blue eyes shot up to meet his friend's and he was suddenly startled with the intense, almost warning look Tyler shot his way.

"Peyton's beautiful." Tyler continued, his eyes trained on Nathan. "But she's just not for me. She was never interested. I just hope that the guy she does like realizes just what a great girl she is, and doesn't fuck it up."

Nathan narrowed his eyes at him, confused as to the looks he was receiving in turn. Before he could comment, Tim groaned and picked up his backback.

"Yo, why are you going all soft and deep on me? Screw this man, I'm out."

* * *

"I'm sure that there was a perfectly good explanation to it all." Peyton began, shifting her backpack on her shoulder and pocketing her keys. "You didn't even hear her out."

Slamming the passenger door shut, Lucas got out and scoffed. "What is there to explain? He kissed her and she let him. _Him_. The same guy who has been nothing but a jerk from the beggining and who she has secretly been tutoring." He sighed, "She likes him, and there is no way around that. Who am I to stand in the way of what she really wants?"

"Don't you think you're overacting?" Peyton rolled her eyes as they made their way towards the front entrance. "Sometimes a kiss is just a kiss, Lucas."

At that, Lucas's head swiveled around to give her a sideways glare. "No, it's not. A kiss always means something, which reminds me...why the hell did _you_ kiss Nathan? You swore up and down that you didn't like him!"

"I don't!" She swore again, opening up her locker. "How can I even...can we please just not have this conversation?"

"No, uh-uh you're not pushing this one away Peyt." Opening up his own locker, he shoved his books inside. "Explain to me how you go from not knowing the guy, to talking to him, to hanging out with him, to _kissing_ him after telling me time and time again that you didn't like him? When did that change Peyt? When did you start liking him and _why_?"

"Lucas..." Peyton groaned, already hating the way the conversation had turned. "I don't know okay? I mean it's not like I planned on it, it just...happened. Everything. From talking to hanging out with him. Yes, he's a jerk, but he's got his moments."

"Oh, great." Lucas rolled his eyes, letting out a huff. "This is where you tell me that the whole jerk thing is just a facade and deep down he's really got a heart of gold right?"

"Well, maybe not a heart of _gold_." She admitted, "But really, he's not that bad. This whole situation with you and him doesn't just affect you and his Dad rides him way too hard if you ask me and then there's the whole thing with Brooke-"

"He brought that upon himself, don't you dare try to justify that."

"I'm not." She argued, defending herself. "I'm just saying, we all make mistakes Lucas and he really does love her."

"Yeah, but he likes you too." He pointed out, not pleased with the thought. "And apparently you like him too."

"I don't like him Lucas!" She all but shouted. "I'm with Julian okay?"

"Keep telling yourself that Peyt." He warned, shutting his locker. "What if Julian hadn't come back? Would you still be saying the same thing?"

"I don't know okay? But it doesn't matter, Julian is back and I love him Lucas. And that's that...anything else doesn't matter."

"Yeah, okay. But I'm not too happy with Julian right now either, after everything that happened he thinks that he can just waltz back into your life and everything is forgiven."

"No, not everything." She sighed, "We are still working on that and-", noticing his attention got diverted, she glanced over her shoulder and noticed a tired-looking,but ever still beautiful Haley James reach her locker across the hall. Glancing over at her best friend, her heart ached on his behalf at the emotions playing across his face.

"Lucas-"

"No, I don't want to talk about her okay? I-I'm...I'll see you later."

Sighing as she watched him make a quick escape, she couldn't help but be concerned. Glancing over her shoulder again, her eyes met Haley's sad ones and she sent her a sympathetic smile and shake of her head. She was no one to judge her, and if anyone could understand kissing someone you weren't supposed to like and feeling confused, it was her.

* * *

"So, that didn't last very long." Felix came up behind Haley, putting an arm around her shoulder, startling her. "I hate to say I told you so, but you can do so much better than the bastard son."

Shrugging him off, Haley snapped at him, "Shut up! I don't need you to be here talking to me okay? Haven't you ruined things enough for me already?"

"Oh, please." He scoffed, leaning against the locker next to hers. "Don't be upset doll, better now than later. It would've never worked out."

"You don't know that! And know thanks to you, I may never know."

"Oh c'mon..." He protested. "First of all, you two are way too much alike, you like the same things and after a while it would've gotten boring."

"Have you ever thought that's maybe why I like him so much?" Haley burst out, really upset. "We can talk about literature and we understand each other and...and he's just so nice and he's sweet and I feel really good, amazing when I'm with him and I've ruined it! And I can't even be that upset with you, because I kissed you back and I don't even know why."

Straightening up, he reached for her hand. "Haley-"

"No, _don't_ Felix!" She blinked back the sudden onslaught of tears. "I don't like you okay? And now I've ruined possibly the best thing that's ever happened to me, so I don't want to hear your fake words of sympathy...just...just leave me alone!"

Watching as she slammed her locker shut and stalked off, visibly upset, he ignored the curious glances he was receiving. A strange unknown feeling was spreading across his chest and it wasn't till she was out of sight that he recognized the foreign feeling.

He actually felt_ bad._

* * *

"Oh, hey Brooke."

Exiting the girl's room, Brooke paused as she came face to face with her much-hated nemesis. Glaring at her, she looked her up and down.

"Well, the sweet smile isn't the only fake thing on you right now." She replied haughtily.

"Maybe not." Rachel agreed in the same tone, putting her hands on her hips. "But Nathan sure didn't seem to have a problem with that darling. In fact, if I do say so myself, he uh..quite enjoyed certain fake parts of me."

Clenching her teeth together, Brooke shot her a forced smile. She wasn't going to let the redhead know how much her comments got to her. "I'm sure he didn't and you know apparently _you_ don't have any problems with my leftovers either. You're more than welcome to them by the way."

"Oh, I know." Rachel purred, giving her another infuriating sweet smile. "Which is why I helped myself to seconds this past weekend. Who knew that they taste even better the second time around?"

Brooke opened her mouth and her eyes flashed in anger and for a second the pain that teared at her left her breathless.

"Screw him all you want, bitch." She finally hissed out, trying her hardest to maintain her composure. "But even you know how pathetic it is that while you're screwing him, it's me he's really thinking of."

"Keep telling yourself that Brookie. Because your name was not the one he was purring in my ear." Grinning in satisfaction at the flash of pain that went across her face, she pushed past her and went into the girl's room. Mission accomplished.

Reaching for the door handle for balance, she had a hard time regaining her breath. Blinking back tears, she stared spitefully at Nathan whom she suddenly spotted across the hall. Turning around she quickly made her way in the opposite direction, running directly into a hard body.

"Whoa, hey there..."

Recognizing Lucas's voice, she blinked up at him and he frowned, noticing the tears that were suddenly running down her face, like a dam had burst. Not saying another word, he wrapped his arms around her tentatively and she hugged him back tightly, gratefully. She ignored the curious looks she was receiving as she let her emotions empty out on Lucas's warm shoulder.

And he ignored the glare that Nathan was shooting him from across the hall.

* * *

"Well, if it isn't my favorite president." Nathan grinned as he spotted Peyton out by her usual spot during their free period. Dropping his backpack on the table, he sat across from her.

Peyton dropped her pencil in a huff, and her green eyes shot up to meet Nathan's in annoyance. She had thought that by now he had gotten the clue. In fact, he had done a pretty good job of staying away from her so far, so why start now again? He was only going to complicate her life more, of that she was sure.

"What do you want Scott?"

"Hostile much?" He grinned, reaching across and pulling on one of her curls in an all too familiar way. "Is that how you always greet those you like?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" She asked, narrowing her beautiful green depths at him.

"I know you like me Sawyer, no point in denying it now."

"What?" She sat up straight, now looking at him confused. "Whatever the hell gave you that idea? Listen, hot-shot I _don't_ like you. I never have and the only reason I ever hung out with you was out of sympathy okay? That and maybe thinking that you were an almost decent human being. But I was wrong."

"Is that so?"

Glancing back at him, she was suddenly startled by the strange and intense look she was receiving in turn. But before she could say anything, he leaned forward and planted a kiss on her lips. Her mind went blank, and it was a short one, probably the shortest one she had ever received, but her heart halted in her chest and she felt almost dizzy when he pulled away. Confused, she stared at him at a loss and he gave her that infuriating smirk, "Nathan! What the _hell?"_

"Just proving your theory Sawyer." His grin deepened at the flustered look on her pretty face. "I think you were saying something about you not liking me and only talking to me out of sympathy or something like that."

"That doesn't give you the right to kiss me you asshole! I don't like you, and us ever talking was a huge mistake and not only that but I have a-"

Placing his hand on the table for leverage, he leaned forward once again and cut her off with another kiss. This time, his hand curled around her neck and he deepened it, letting his tongue intertwine with hers, before he pulled away, breathless.

"Yeah, guess what? I still don't believe you." There was that infuriating smirk again. "I'll see you around, Sawyer."

Staring aghast at his disappearing form, her mind tried to quickly wrap around what had just happened. She cursed him in her mind, but more so she cursed her reaction to his kiss. Groaning, she held her head in her hands. What the hell had just happened and what was she going to do now? How could she possibly explain this to Julian?

* * *

"Hey handsome." Brooke sing-songed, practically beaming when she noticed her childhood friend sitting by himself. Throwing her lunch on the table, she plopped next to him, leaning in to plant a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Hey Brooke." He grinned back, his heart rate increasing as it always did when she was in close proximity. A warm feeling spread across his chest at her simple gesture, and even more so, when she leaned closer.

"I've been looking everywhere for you today, and I even texted you." She snapped open her diet coke and took a sip, narrowing her eyes at him playfully. "Have you been avoiding me?"

"Never, I don't think that's even possible." He chuckled, pulling out his phone and looking at it. "But some of us actually come here to learn something." He teased her, receiving a playful shove in return. "Now, what's with the 911 text?"

"You would not believe the day I've had so far Jakey!" She let out a puff of annoyance. "First of all, Bitchtoria hasn't stopped harping on and on about the stupid Charity Ball this Saturday which I sooo do not want to go to. I mean, me and Nathan? Ugh, can you say awkward? And on top of that, this morning that stupid bitch Rachel-"

"Can this day be over already?" Haley groaned, throwing her lunch on the table in exasperation. "Boy, am I glad to see you two, you guys would not believe the day I've had!"

Brooke narrowed her eyes at her best friend, annoyed that she had been cut off mid-rant. "It's hard enough to be me Tutor Girl without having to deal with someone else's problems."

Haley blinked at her in surprise and she exhaled, "Gee, thanks Brooke! You're an _amazing_ best friend, anyone ever tell you that?"

"Well, just thought I'd return the favor." The brunette replied sweetly and the two girls glared at each other. Jake shook his head and tried not to laugh as he turned to Haley. "Okay Hales, I know you need to unload, but Brooke here was first so-"

"You _would_ choose her side." Haley interrupted him, smiling at him innocently and Jake groaned, shooting her a dirty look. Before Brooke could pick up on that, the blonde turned towards her. "Okay, I'm sorry, Jake is right but I swear if this is about Nathan again, I've already heard it all."

"Excuse me, but not all my problems revolve around that jerk." She replied haughtily. At the incredulous look they were both giving her, she rolled her eyes and glared at them. "Fine." She snapped, "Okay, so as I was saying, before I got rudely interrupted, Bitchtoria won't stop pestering me about the Charity Ball this Saturday and I've about had it! The last thing I feel like doing is spending an entire evening on the arm of that lying, cheating, smug, bastard, son of a-"

"Okay, okay, we get it." Jake chuckled, sharing an amused glance with Haley. "So if you don't want to go, don't."

"Oh, if only it was that easy Jake." Brooke sighed in a dramatic matter. "You two just don't understand the perils of being rich, this is not something I can just skip out on. Not if I want to keep my sweet and precious credit cards. And really, the only way I could escape was if I suddenly got kidnapped or something..." Her face brightened into a mischievous grin and she turned to Jake. "Wait, that's it!"

Jake held up his hands in mock protest. "No, no way Brooke. As much as I love your company-"

"Well, there goes that idea." She sighed in mock dramatics. "Any ideas tutor girl?"

"None, sorry."

"You guys are no help." She pouted, "But anyways that's not the worst of my worries. This morning Rachel rubbed it in my face that she slept with Nathan again."

At this both Jake and Haley turned to her in surprise and concern.

"He didn't." Haley sighed unhappily. "I can't believe him. After everything, you would think that he would know better."

"It doesn't bother me." Brooke replied, a little too quickly. She ignored their knowing glances. "We're over and he can do whatever or whoever he wants. But you know what does bother me? Is that slut rubbing it in my face, so I have something for her."

Turning to Haley, she said. "I need you to bid for Nathan tonight."

"I was already going to do so."

Pausing, Brooke raised surprised, and almost suspicious eyes to her. "Really? Well that's news to me and why is that?"

"Brooke..." Haley sighed, "Look I'm glad you've given me another chance, and I just...I know you won't understand this, but I really need Nathan to do the same."

"Fine, whatever." Brooke quickly brushed it aside. "The whole point is for you to bid for him since I'm bidding for Lucas, and that way Rachel doesn't get Nathan either."

"Brooke, why do you even care so much?"

"It has nothing to do with Nathan." Brooke lied, knowing that they wouldn't believe her anyways. "It has more to do with that scarlet slut and her rubbing it in my face and her thinking she has one-upped me."

Jake shook his head at Brooke's logic but he let it go. "Well..." he began, sending them both an innocent smile. "If Brooke is bidding for Lucas and Haley is bidding for Nathan...then who is going to bid on poor little ole me?"

"Oh Jakey..." Brooke grinned at him, planting a sudden sweet kiss on his cheek. "You have nothing to worry about, whoever bids on you will be the luckiest girl tonight."

* * *

Passing through their table, totally unnoticed and having heard their entire conversation, Rachel grinned to herself. Setting her food down a couple of tables away from them, but still in perfect view, she couldn't help but throw Brooke a satisfied and smug grin. Chuckling at the way the brunette narrowed her eyes at her, Rachel couldn't help but stew in self-gloat.

_You have two things coming at you tonight and you don't even know it, Brooke._

Pulling her cellphone out, she dialed a familiar number as her new plans began to formulate.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N's I'm so very sorry for the delay, but my computer has been down for the past month and I had to get it fixed. Luckily all my files were okay. Here's the next chapter, I hope you guys like it :) **

"Thank you for calling Penelope's, this is Mike how can I help you?"

"Hey Mike!"

"Brooke?"

"Brooke Penelope." She teased, breaking out into a huge smile. Balancing her phone in between her ear and her shoulder, she went over to her vanity. "How's my favorite manager doing? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"I'm good sweetheart." The deep baritone on the other end rang out and she could almost hear him smile. "And you haven't talked to me in forever because you disappear from time to time. How's my favorite girl doing?"

"I'm good, y'know the same old same old." She replied, picking up a tube of lip gloss.

"You still dating that Scott boy?"

She winced and she shook her head, ignoring the sting on her heart. "Okay, so maybe not the same old but it's a long story that I don't really want to get into." She took a deep breath. "Actually Mike, I'm glad I got you because I need a favor."

"Hmmm...now I wonder what this could be about?" He teased and she laughed, thanking her lucky stars that he had picked up and not Roy. Michael Townsend was her father's long time friend and along with Roy Harris, they managed Penelope's. It was located outside of town and it was an elegant, yet modern restaurant/sports bar.

"I've got a date tonight." Brooke continued, uncapping her lip gloss and applying a layer over her full, plump lips. "And I was wondering if you can set me up a nice, romantic dinner?"

"And who's the lucky fellow?"

"Lucas Scott." She smiled warmly, thinking of the shy blonde who had comforted her earlier.

"Another Scott boy?"

"Yeah, and that's another long story." She stared into her reflection critically, and reached over for her eyelash curler, catching a quick look at the time. "And can you set me up my favorite champagne bottle?"

"Special night huh?" He teased again and she laughed. "I guess I can do that for you sweetheart and tonight is your lucky nigh because Roy is off."

_Thank you_, she mouthed to the powers above. She disliked Roy immensely and that probably had everything to do with the fact that he wouldn't cater to her the way Mike would. She knew that her father didn't care that she drank alcohol but Roy was suck a stickler for the law and he always refused to serve her and her friends when they would stop by. Many times, Brooke had complained to her father, but he refused to fire him.

"I'll just make sure I tell Jason."

"Jason?"

"Yeah, he's the new bartender, started a couple of weeks ago."

"Oh, ok." She shrugged, not really caring. "So, I'll be seeing you tonight then?"

"Actually, you won't." He sighed on the other end. "I've got to meet with your father to go over a few things so Jason will be in charge tonight."

Her brow furrowed, "But he just started..."

"Yeah, I know but he came from a really good reference. He previously worked for another family as their personal chef and bartender. They reside in Tree Hill too and they have a daughter your age. You probably know them, the G-" He stopped and Brooke could hear someone yelling for him in the background. "Listen sweetheart, I've got to go but have fun tonight okay?"

"I sure will Mike." She responded, smiling happily. "And thanks for everything."

"No problem sweetheart, talk to you soon and don't be a stranger okay? Bye."

"Bye." She shut her phone close and stared at her reflection excitedly. It was short lived as in the next instance, the devil itself made its way into her room and she sighed unhappily.

"Mother."

"Brooke." She returned in the same tone as she made her way into her room, carrying a zipped up garment on one arm.

"What do you want?"

"My, what's with the attitude _darling?" _Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Nice to see you too."

"Oh, cut the crap Mother." Brooke rolled her eyes going over to plop down in her bed. "And make it quick will you? I've got a hot date to get ready for."

"You don't waste any time do you sweetheart?" Victoria smirked, shaking her head. "And besides I don't know why you're so unhappy to see me after I've been gone for so long."

"Gee, I wonder why?" She replied icily, tilting her head to one side to glare at her mother.

Ignoring her, Victoria unzipped the garment. "If you ask me, I should be the one unhappy to see you, especially after the atrocious choice you've made. I wanted you to wear the newest Vera Wang to the most important event of the year and-"

"That's what you said about the last one." She cut her off, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "And really? They're all the same Mother and besides if I remember correctly, you and Daddy promised me that I could wear whatever I choose to these things."

"But really Brooke, a $200 dress?"

"I liked it!" She snapped. "And what does it matter?"

Victoria just rolled her eyes in response and she pulled out the dress. For a second Brooke's breath caught in her throat. She had picked out the dress at the mall a couple of weeks back and it was a stunning red silk. It was flirty and had dazzling beadwork on the V-neck bodice, a seductive side slit and an elegant attached train that cascaded to the floor. The back was low cute and had wide straps that showcased her back perfectly. The moment she'd seen it, she'd known that was the dress, never mind the fact that it wasn't designer. She had picked it out with Nathan in mind, knowing that he had always loved her in red. She knew that he would go crazy once he saw her in it. A wave of sadness flowed over her as she realized that it no longer mattered.

Victoria seemed not to notice, nor care that her mood had gone somber and she almost hurled the dress at her. "Don't you dare come in late tomorrow night Brooke. Valentin will be here at 6:00 AM on Saturday to do your hair and make-up and the last thing I need is my daughter showing up to the Ball haggard and hung-over, you're going to embarrass me enough as it with this piece of scrap."

* * *

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Lucas called out at the insistent knocking. Getting up out of bed, he quickly pulled on a shirt and headed to the door that connected his room to the outside world. Pulling it open, annoyed, he stopped startled as he stared at the blonde beauty shifting nervously on the front step. She was wearing a light blue sundress and her golden tresses shimmered in the late sun.

"Haley?" He frowned, ignoring the racing of his heart. "What are you-?"

Not giving him a chance to finish, she stepped towards him and flung her arms around his neck, kissing him hard and almost knocking him over in the process.

Shocked, he pulled away from her but she pushed him inside and slammed the door behind her, leaning even closer to him and letting her tongue slip inside his mouth.

Groaning at the sensation, he let his feelings for her take over as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist in response. Taking that as approval, she pushed him till he was sitting on his bed and she settled herself on his lap to keep him from moving away from her. Running her hands inside his shirt, she touched his warm, bare skin as she explored his mouth further, hungrily. It had only been a day since she had tasted his sweet taste, but she had missed him so much and she couldn't stand that he was angry at her. And she'd be damned if she let that slip up between her and Felix ruin this, ruin them.

Shifting even closer on top of him, she sighed at the delicious friction that was happening between them and she slipped her hands from his back to his chest, arching against him. Her hands went further down and she ignored the voice in the back of her head that was telling her that she needed to stop.

He slipped his hands from her waist and he ran them up and down her back as their mouths moved against each other, hot and intense. She squeezed her hips that were wrapped around his and he broke the kiss, leaning back to let out groan. She took that as an opportunity to lean further into him and ran kisses from his jaw down to his neck.

"Haley..." He gasped, trying his hardest to control the growing bulge in his jeans. She too felt it and she reached down, unbuttoning his jeans.

Gritting his teeth at the sensation, he opened his eyes and he pushed her away, making her land softly on the bed next to him. Running his hand through his short locks, it took him a second to catch his breath.

"Lucas..."

"No, Haley don't." He responded and it came out fiercer than he wanted it too. Her eyes widened as he stood up and faced her angrily.

"You can't just come in here after everything that happened and try to...try to...you just can't do that okay?"

She stood up and she went over to him, flinching when he pulled away from her. "Lucas, please..."She pleaded, wrapping her arms around his waist, placing soft open-mouthed kisses on his neck. "I've missed you so much and I...know you have too. You want this, you want us as much as I do."

Closing his eyes at the sensations, he forced himself for the second time to pull away. "And what about Felix huh?"

Frustrated, she let out an angry sound. "I don't like Felix!" Pulling back to look at him, she searched his deep blue eyes, willing him to see, to understand how she felt. "Can't you see? I only want you." She whispered, their lips close. "Can't you feel it, what I feel for you? It's you and only you."

Struggling with his feelings, he let her take his lips with her own. Satisfied, she deepened the kiss and he lost himself for a moment, enjoying the feel of her. Contrary to how angry he was at her still, he couldn't deny how he felt about her.

"No, no wait." He pulled back, pushing her gently away. "I can't okay?"

"Lucas!"

"At least, not right now Haley." Sighing, he tried to ignore the hurt look on her face. "We'll talk after the boy toy auction okay? And we'll go from there, just...give me some time."

Dejected, she only nodded. "Okay, I will." Leaning forward she pulled him against her and gave him another earth-shattering kiss. "But I'm not giving up on you Lucas Scott. Not by a long shot."

She gave him one last lingering kiss and she went to the door, but not before turning around and giving him that beautiful smile of hers. Something strange fluttered in his chest and for a second, watching her leave, he felt like it was good-bye.

* * *

"Everything's set." Rachel turned to Felix, her eyes bright and her lips wide into a smile. "It's all going down tonight, oohhh I can't wait!"

Shaking his head, Felix stared at her in almost admiration. "I have to hand it to you Gatina, when you're good...you're really good."

"I know." She smiled even wider now, tucking her phone into her pocket.

"How did you do it?"

"A girl never tells." She smirked, going over to her closet and rummaging through clothes.

"Whatever, well at least tell me how you even know she's going to be taking Lucas to Penelope's?"

"Oh, you are so naive and so...stupid." She laughed at the glare he threw at her. "Where else is she going to take him? You know what they say, keep your friends close and your enemy's closer. And when you keep your enemies close to you, you get to know a thing or two about them. Besides she is so predictable and anyways it doesn't matter how I know. The point is I just now confirmed she'll be taking him there and my little plan is all set up. And believe me, when all is said and done, we are both getting our way."

"You're evil."

"Thank you." She beamed, and pulled out a sexy black barely there dress. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get ready for part 2 of my plan."

* * *

_A part of me wants to leave you alone_  
_A part of me wants for you to come home_  
_A part of me says I'm living a lie_  
_(And I'm better off without you)_

_A part of me says to think it through_  
_A part of me says I'm over you_  
_A part of me wants to say goodbye_  
_A part of me is asking why?_

_A part of me wants to leave_  
_But a part of me wants to be here with you_  
_And every time I think we're over and done_  
_You do something to get me back loving you_  
_And you got me just torn_

"Letoya Luckett?" Julian smirked as he came into Peyton's room with a bag of take-out. She was sketching as was per usual with the music on so loud he could hear it down the street. What was unusual was her song choice and the fact that she was singing along in that melodic voice of hers. "Never thought I'd see the day."

Startled, she smiled sheepishly as he came over and leaned down for a quick kiss. "Should I be worried that you know who Letoya Luckett is?"

"Nah." He shrugged, setting the food down. "All music goes hand in hand with producing. The question is, should I be worried that you're listening to this particular song?"

"What do you mean?" Her brow furrowed and she unconsciously covered her sketch which was of three hearts.

"Exactly that." He pointed at her sketch, although it wasn't anywhere near done. "You draw your feelings and if there's one thing I've learned about you is that always listen to songs that either mean something to you, or that are appropriate to what you're feeling, so tell me Peyton...what's going on?"

Sighing, Peyton fiddled with the drawing in fron of her. She felt a rush of affection flow over her at Julian's words of how well he knew her and he was right. She wasn't sure how to even broach the subject, but she knew that if she and Julian were going to move forward with their relationship, then there were a few things that they needed to discuss.

"Julian..." She began, twirling one curl on her finger, a sign that she was nervous. "I need to tell you something, and before you say anything, I just want you to know that this doesn't change anything between us. I just need you to know and I need you to listen to me, because this will be the least of our problems."

"Okay..." He replied, shifting on the bed, sitting across from her. He wasn't sure where she was going with this, but the look on her face meant that she was serious and for that he couldn't help but be a little nervous. He loved her and now that he was back, the last thing he wanted was to lose her again.

"Before you came back...there was sort of someone."

He sighed and he closed his eyes, nodding in rememberance. "Nathan."

"Right." She replied, taking a deep breath. Her heart was racing and she couldn't pinpoint whether or not it was due to the fact that she was finally talking about it, or because of the mere mention of the other boy.

"He's Lucas's half brother and they don't exactly get along. They uh, sort of hate each other. I didn't know him that well, but I guess you could say that by association that I hated him too. Well a couple of weeks back, he and I started to uh...spend time together and um, I got to know a different side of him and I realized that the Nathan Scott that he puts out there for everyone else is not really the Nathan Scott that I got to know."

"And the Nathan Scott that you like." He sighed, already hating where this was going.

"Yeah..."She admitted softly. "I do. Or I did...I don't know. The fact is that before you came back, I was pretty sure that I had feelings for him when he kissed me."

He closed his eyes and a flash of annoyance went through him at the thought of someone else kissing those perfect lips that were only meant for him. Or so he thought.

"And he...he kissed me again. Today."

"I'm giong to kill him." He stood up and she stood up as well, grabbing him by the arms.

"Julian! Just wait, hear me out okay?"

"What else is there to say Peyton? You had feelings for the guy before I came back and he kissed you again today, knowing that you and I are together-"

"He doesn't." She admitted.

"What?"

"I mean, I didn't tell him because he didn't give me the chance to."

"He didn't give you the chance or you didn't give yourself the chance to tell him?"

"No, Julian! He didn't give me the chance, but it doesn't matter okay? I'm not going to deny that I felt something when he kissed me, but it's nothing compared to what I feel when _you_ kiss me. I love you Julian, and I never stopped loving you and Nathan Scott won't get in the way of us, believe me he's the least of our worries."

"What do you mean by that?"

"That...that I'm not exactly happy that you came back."

Pulling away from her as if he'd been slapped, he stared aghast at her. "What?"

"If I'm being honest with you, then I need to be honest with you all the way and not just about the Nathan thing." She began, hurting herself at the hurt look in his eyes. "I love you Julian, but I'm not a 100% happy that you came back and that has to do with the fact that I'm still angry with you. I'm still very angry over the way that you left the first time around and I know that it will take some time for me to let go of that anger. But that doesn't mean that I don't still love you. We are just going to have to take it a day at a time and we have to talk about this Julian, I mean it."

"I know Peyton." He sighed in relief when he heard those three beautiful words because she had him worried there for a second. "One day at a time, I'm more than happy to give you that because I love you too baby and there is no way that I'm ever letting you go."

* * *

"We're heeere!" Brooke sing-songed, looking to the passenger seat and shooting Jake a grin. Smiling back, he turned to look at Haley in the back seat and they both rolled their eyes at Brooke's enthusiasm. Jake was just ready to get it over with and Haley, alhtough excited at the prospect of spending time with Nathan was also dreading it because of Lucas and Brooke.

The three of them got out and Brooke smoothed out her skirt, leaning down to check her make-up for the last time. Seeing this, Haley rolled her eyes and she had to bite her tongue to keep from lashing out at her best friend. Why did Brooke insist on looking so..so..._hot?_ Haley hated to admit that she was jealous of her best friend at the moment, especially knowing that by that night's end she would share a kiss with the guy that Haley herself was crazy over.

Linking her arms through both Jake and Haley, Brooke almost skipped towards the gym. She was chattering their ears off and they were almost there when Brooke stopped abruptly.

"What in the hell does she think she's doing?" She rolled her eyes and both Jake and Haley turned their attention to where her gaze was at. Jake let out a whistle and Brooke turned to him, glaring at him, an unfamiliar feeling spreading across her chest at the appreciative look Jake was sending her nemesis way.

"What a slut, I mean really that is total overkill."

"I feel sorry for her poor victim." Jake responded, taking in Rachel's barely there dress and shaking his head.

"I think you mean Nathan." Brooke snapped in response, her entire body alight with rage. "Like I don't know what she's up to."

At the same time, Rachel shot them all a smug grin and she went inside, leaving Brooke almost shaking with anger. Rummaging in her purse, she pulled out a wad of cash and shoved it in Haley's hand amongst her protests.

"Brooke!"

"What Haley?" She snapped in response. "You'll be thanking me later, because you sure are going to need it. I'm willing to bet all of _that_, that Sl-achel is here tonight to bet on Nathan. Well she's got another thing coming that's for sure. She's_ not_ getting her way this time, of that I am going to make damn sure."

Rolling her eyes, Haley handed her back the money. "I don't need it Brooke." She insisted, "I've got more than enough to bet on Nathan and besides if I bet on him with your money, how would that be fair or honest?"

"You and your stupid morals, Tutor Girl." Brooke replied, annoyed. "Fine, but if that slut wins him over you, then don't say I didn't warn you."

"Brooke, there's something I want to go over with you." Haley began, a little nervously. "Uh...that um...I'm fine with you bidding on Lucas...I guess...but that uh...that midnight kiss...you don't have to and-"

"Why not Haley?" Brooke grinned, winking at Jake. "It's tradition after all."

"Brooke..."

"Oh, don't be jealous Haley, I promise you I'll make it a short one. Now if Lucas decides he wants more than-"

"Brooke!"

"Geez, I was just kidding." Brooke rolled her eyes. "But now that you brought it up, the same goes for you okay?"

"I thought you didn't care about Nathan?" Haley laughed, not being able to help herself from teasing her the way she had her.

"I don't!" Brooke huffed, "I'm just saying...you and Nathan...that's just..."

"Weird?" Haley supplied for her, "Yeah, I know."

"Y'know, all this talk about kisses has me feeling left out." Jake began, it was his turn to tease them both. Wrapping an arm around the both of them, he turned and planted a kiss on Haley's cheek, then on Brooke's. "Y'know either of the two of you could be on the receiving end of these amazing lips tonight, you might want to reconsider your choice tonight." He winked and both Haley and Brooke pushed him away laughing. Although, at the mention of a kiss, Brooke got an image of Jake's soft lips and she shook her head, more than a little uncomfortable.

* * *

Sitting backstage, waiting for his turn, Lucas didn't think he'd ever been more nervous or uncomfortable in his life. Nevermind the fact that the thought of going out there and strutting his stuff for the entire female population of Tree Hill High had him almost want to run and hide, but he knew what was going to happen tonight and that more than anything had him wigging it out. How had it come to this?

"Well, if it isn't Tree Hill's very own bastard son."

Turning around and locking eyes with Nathan, Lucas balled his fists in anger as the guys around him, mainly the basketball team all laughed. Ignoring Nathan, he stood up and pulled the curtain back and his eyes immediately seeked Haley who was looking beautiful as always. She was standing next to Brooke at the very front of the rows, looking almost as nervous as he did and for that he smiled.

"Who you looking for?" Nathan taunted from behind him. "I doubt that anyone here will bid on you, least of all Haley. You know, no that I think about it, I think she finally came to her senses after all word around is that she and Tree Hill's very own player hooked up."

Gritting his teeth, Lucas had to hold himself back from punching the son of a bitch in his smug face. He also had to restrain himself from slipping out the fact that come that night, _he'd_ be the one leaving there with Brooke.

"And what about Peyton huh?" Nathan continued, going to stand next to him and taking a peek out as well. "I don't see her here tonight but even if she was, I could bet you that she'd be here to bid on _me._"

"Don't count on it." He snapped.

"Oh, hit a nerve didn't I? Well, y'know what they say about the midnight kiss, and after today, I wouldn't mind being on the receiving end of those lips."

"Watch it, Nate." Lucas warned, "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, don't I?" He smirked, "Or did dear best friend not tell you about the kiss we shared again today?"

"What?"

Nathan laughed at the look on Lucas's face and before he could respond, Whitey came backstage and growled out. "Scott, L! You're up!"

* * *

"Oh, he's next!" Brooke exclaimed, a little too excitedly as Whitey boomed out Lucas's name. The blonde boy came out and he was wearing a pair of jeans and his trademark long-sleeved white T. His hands were in his pockets and he walked down the walkpath as girls everywhere exploded in catcalls. Shyly, he smiled and waved and immediately a girl waved down $200.

Both Brooke and Haley turned around and Haley stared, almost shocked at the eager blonde. She sends the blonde a glare and opens her mouth to protest when Brooke yells out, "300!"

"350!"

"400!"

Haley gasped and she turned to Brooke wide-eyed. "Brooke! What are you waiting for?"

"Chill Haley, I've got this."

"450!"

"450 for the lady in red." Whitey boomed out, "Going once, twice.."

"Brooke!"

Smiling smugly, Brooke raised her hand and her voice rang out loud and clear, "600!"

Sighing in relief, Haley looked around glad to see nobody raising their hand to bid higher. Truth be told, although she was uncomfortable and unhappy with Brooke going home with Lucas, the thought of some other random girl with the guy she liked was driving her crazy.

"600, sold to the lovely !"

Turning to Haley, Brooke grinned in self-triumph and Haley gave her a hug in relief that Lucas was going home with her best friend instead of some random slut.

Seeing the girls' exchange, Lucas sighed and shook his head as he gave Whitey a tight smile.

* * *

Backstage, Nathan was absolutely seething. Who the hell did Brooke think she was and just what was she up to?

Whitey announces him next and he comes out and he immediately strips his shirt off, making all the girls whistle and cat call. His eyes meet Brooke's and he throws her a smirk, flexing his biceps.

"400!" A brunette up front immediately calls out and Brooke turns to glare at her forcefully.

"450!" Haley doesn't hesitate to call out and she smiles at Nathan when he turns to stare at her. He continues down the walkpath as girls around him continue to bid higher and higher for him.

"650!" Haley calls out and she smiles at Nathan again when he meets her eyes. He rolls his eyes and scoffs at her, but she doesn't get discouraged.

"700!"

"Step it up Haley!" Brooke hisses at her, "Before Rachel makes a bid that you can't match."

Ignoring her and her wad of cash, Haley raised her hand and called out, "750!"

"750 going once, twice...sold to the lovely Ms. James!"

"Yes!" Haley called out happily, sending Nathan a wink. Brooke high-fives her and Nathan shakes his head, wondering just what game they're playing at. It's not till he walks off-stage that Brooke realizes that Rachel didn't even bid for Nathan once.

* * *

"Last but definetely not least..."Whitey boomed out, his face lighting into a fond smile. "Jake Jagielski!"

Jake comes out and he's wearing this ridiculous stuffed teddy bear suit and both Haley and Brooke burst into laughter, alhtough they both can't help but think that the suit is fitting. He comes out and he's strutting down the walkway in a cute manner when a girl yells out, "250!"

Jake grins and he starts to move his arms up and down in a robotic motion and even Whitey can't help but smile at the young boy's antics.

"350!"

Turning around slowly, Jake walks further down the pathway and he crouches down, making a sight-seeing motion and then he wraps his arms around himself, giving himself a hug.

"450!"

Brooke and Haley are both smiling and Brooke feels a rush of warmth spread over her at how cute Jake looks.

"450, going once...twice.."

"800!"

Everyone gasps, and White slams down the gravel. "800 going to the lovely Ms Gatina! Congratulations Jake!"

"What?" Turning around shocked, Brooke stares aghast at Rachel in her skimpy dress. The redhead is staring clearly at Brooke and she's got the most smug smile that Brooke has ever seen.

_Gotcha Brooke Davis._


End file.
